House in Genval
Located in a typical sixties allotment plan, this house in Genval finds itself on a slightly retreated plot, surrounded by little informal passageways. The client, a retired couple of sailing fanatics, wished for a passive house with a living area and terrace on the second floor, reminiscent of their boat and taking advantage of the views on the lush greenery of the Lasne Valley.
After a first rejected permit, we decided to scrupulously use the planning regulations without any judgement or reflection on their values. This gave us a construction zone of 10x13m and the maximum cornice height. Afterwards, this volume was inserted following the length of the narrow and sloping terrain, presenting a closed facade towards the passageway and a more generous and open facade towards the valley. On the ground floor, constructed in traditional concrete blocks, the sleeping rooms and a second living area were provided. Meanwhile the large roofvolume, constructed in CLT, was divided in two, thus creating a large south-faced loggia complementing the living area on the first floor.
