Junction of pale brick volumes and a blue corrugated wall
Full garden view of the low brick house beside a swimming pool
Tall pale brick side wall with scattered square openings
Gabled brick wall meeting a tall corrugated metal screen
Narrow courtyard passage between two pale brick wings
Corner view of the low house and its sheltered garden terrace
Pool courtyard framed by pale brick walls and corrugated roofing
Covered poolside terrace framed by brick piers and metal roofing
Covered timber terrace looking across the swimming pool
Timber-lined soffit sheltering the poolside terrace
Curved timber soffit projecting over a rounded deck edge
Deep blue-framed window overlooking a corrugated metal roof
Built-in shelving and pale cabinetry lining the interior passage
Bright kitchen with a curved island and garden window
Living room organized around a large curved kitchen island
White interior landing with timber floor and a central kitchen volume
Open garden canopy above a lattice of planted paving
Large timber sliding doors closing the garden outbuilding
Wide lawn and pool in front of the low angular house
House roof and upper volume seen above a dense street hedge
Cutaway physical model showing rooms within the triangular floor plan

In the northern part of the site, the project elegantly responds to the surrounding built environment centered around the Château d'Eau roundabout, while offering a sun-drenched south-facing garden. The villa's distinctive triangular form creates a seamless connection between the interior and the fully visible, open garden from the entrance gate.

With its southern orientation, the living space facade harnesses the sun's path, thanks to the curvature that guides five identical windows. This curvature, combined with the triangular roof, ensures a harmonious play of light and shade, preventing any overheating concerns.

Compact yet generous, the villa is designed as a half-square. This compactness minimizes its ecological footprint and optimizes spatial efficiency by consolidating the diverse functions. The internal layout demonstrates pragmatism and rationality, effectively responding to functional, territorial, and spatial constraints.

Inside, a deliberate absence of corridors gives way to a sequential arrangement of interconnected spaces—a constellation of thresholds. The square entrance unfolds into a lofty triangular space with a ceiling height of 2.5m, ultimately leading to the main living area characterized by its graceful curve and varying ceiling heights ranging from 2.5m to 4m.

The spatial experience is one of fluidity, generosity, and contrast. While the living space remains open, certain objects, such as the fireplace and kitchen island, demarcate more intimate zones. The curve gracefully encompasses the living room and kitchen, defining a harmonious domestic realm.

Exhibiting honesty in its materiality, the entire project is constructed in wood. The brick veneer boasts a natural white hue, while the raw concrete and visible wood surfaces retain their authentic qualities. Anodized aluminum frames and a metallic corrugated roof complete the design, devoid of any superfluous embellishments. This adherence to simplicity resonates with the project's ethos of enduring sustainability and timeless appeal.

Complementing the use of honest materials, the project incorporates sustainable features such as the exclusion of chemical elements, solar studies to mitigate summer overheating and maximize winter daylighting. Furthermore, solar panels ensure the villa's near-passive and self-sufficient energy performance.

Location
BE, Waterloo, Clos du Château d’Eau
Works
New construction
Roles
Complete mission, design and construction
Typology
Villa, duplex
Use
Residential
Surface
210 m2
Client
Private
Engineer
Forme et Structure
Date
2017 - 2019
Status
Built
Photos
Nicolas Delaroche

Drawings

Architectural section through the house and its wooded site
Site plan of the angular house among mature garden trees
Ground-floor plan fitted within the triangular site boundary
Upper-floor plan of bedrooms beside the open courtyard
Front and rear elevations of the low brick house
Side elevation of the brick upper volume and sloping lower roof
Elevation and detail studies of windows, shutters and cladding
Interior elevation of built-in storage and a recessed fireplace
Side elevation of the enclosed upper volume above the low roof
Construction detail through the insulated wall and corrugated roof
Construction detail through the projecting roof eave
Material study comparing blue brick patterns and façade zones
Cutaway axonometric showing the inner courtyard, stair and rooms
Exterior axonometric of the house enclosing a central courtyard
Axonometric of the low angular house wrapped around a courtyard

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