M&C MAENHOUT HOUSE
The project is situated in a green environment, with access via a little bridge over a ditch. The plot lies on a small street with an open landscape on the back, but with houses left and right. The composition of the house is based by three boxes, each of which received their own functional content and external materialization.
The pronounced volumetricity gets its definitive shape through the positioning of the windows. Inside the house is characterized by maximum utilization of the spaces thanks to a minimal circulation and an open relationship between the living areas and the garden located in the north.
The site is located in a quiet residential area and offers beautiful views. The most decisive factors were the existing access bridge over the canal and the unfavorable orientation at first sight with the south on the street side. The left side of the flat terrain is in direct contact with the back gardens of a neighboring street. On the basis of this data, the carport, the reception zone and the garden shed were first given their place. The latter protects the residents when they sit in their garden against the looks of neighbors and passersby. In the further design, the relationship with the underlying garden, the green environment and the incidence of sun and daylight were decisive. The challenge lay mainly in the composition of the three boxes and in the correct positioning of the window openings.
The wooden volume with the garden shed forms the buffer to the street and the neighbors. At the back we placed - parallel to the street - an elongated, free-standing main volume with the living spaces. This was finished with a combination of wood and glass and is in an open relationship with the garden and the green environment. The third box, with sleeping areas and finished with slates, rests on both ground-level volumes and a column. Due to the precise positioning we created a screened, open and covered space under and between the boxes. There the carport, the terrace and a passage to the garden at the back got their place.
The position and shape of each opening in the house is determined individually and very carefully. In addition to light incidence, the function of the room, the desired relationship with the environment and the privacy of the residents also played a decisive role. On the ground floor we focused the view mainly on the green zone at the back of the house. For this we placed a glass window over the entire length of the volume. We used the same starting point for the upper floor, which is also oriented towards the green environment. To avoid glimpses, in some places we moved the wooden cladding over the windows or placed them a bit deeper in the façade. At the front we positioned some windows to get enough sunlight in the house in a subtle way. They allow the sun to enter every zone of the living space: seating area, desk and kitchen. The result is a balanced volume with accented openings that guarantee the spaciousness in the home.
