DC2 Residence
Tielrode, Temse, Belgium
Vincent Van Duysen Architects, Belgium
Vincent Van Duysen Architects, Belgium
Year: 2011
Photos: Koen Van Damme
Project's description on ArchDaily [by the architect]:
The project for a house in Tielrode is the second project for the client
of the DC residence in Waasmunster, which Van Duysen designed in 1998.
The client is moving from a purely residential neighborhood to a rural
environment. The brief existed of the building of a house, adapted to
these rural and informal surroundings. Apart from the main house, the
project also concerned the renovation of the old farm barns.
The position of the new built house was restricted by the footprint of
the existing house. The concept of Van Duysen to go back to the simple
rural building typology (a long volume parallel to the street, with a
45° gable roof) refers to the tradition of simple farm houses in the
region. By its position, it strengthens the courtyard in between the
house and the barns, opened up to the street. The house is situated
between the courtyard and the fields, in this way enjoying both the
smaller scale of the enclosed courtyard (with the midday sun), as well
as the far and wide views on the fields.
The reference to tradition in the basic volume is combined with a
contemporary execution. The detailed approach to the design and the
material palette add to the contemporary character of the house. By the
use of a consistent material for the façade, any ornamentation is
removed from the design: the typical gutters and ridges are nearly
abstract, invisible. The traditional roof overhang was not executed, the
door thresholds were not carried out in Belgian bluestone, and the
wooden façade –making reference to the old wooden barns- is continued on
the roof.
After consultation with the client and the contractor, the two old barns
were not renovated but rebuilt, in the same design language as the main
house, adding to the character of the total project. At first glance,
because of their abstract character the three volumes don’t seem rooted
in the rural context. However, when you enter the courtyard, you feel
that the project is indeed grown rooted in the tradition and the scale
of the immediate environment. The principles of a passive house were followed and achieved in the
design, with the collaboration with Denc!-studio, and architectural
studio specializing in sustainable construction.
The landscape design by landscape architect Paul De Roose, was limited
on purpose to the careful planning of solitary trees, the restoration of
the beautiful holly hedge around the terrain and the use of a brushed
concrete floor, typical for a function farm courtyard. These concrete
floors are continued in the house in a sandblaster finish, where they
set the tone for a sober interior, fitting the atmosphere of the
architectural project.
