HOUSE DM-S VERMEIREN – DE COSTER ARCHITECTEN

FOR THE PROJECT ‘URBAN HOUSING PLOTS’ BY SOGENT, A COMPACT, CITY CENTER ROW HOUSE WAS DESIGNED. THE HOUSE WAS TO BE BORDERED BY AN OLD HOME WITH LIMITED HEIGHT, DEPTH AND A SADDLED ROOF ON ONE SIDE, AND A NEW HOME WHICH WAS TO BE TALLER, DEEPER AND WITH A FLAT ROOF ON THE OTHER SIDE. SPATIALLY, THE HOUSE IS ORGANIZED IN SPLIT LEVELS, ORIENTING THE LIVING SPACES TOWARDS THE GARDEN (EAST), AS WELL AS TOWARDS THE STREET (WEST). THE LIVING ROOM IS RAISED A HALF A FLOOR HEIGHT WITH A LARGE WINDOW FACING THE STREET, ALLOWING A MORE VIVID STREETSCAPE WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE PRIVACY OF ITS RESIDENTS.  THIS ALSO ALLOWS FOR THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PUBLIC SPACE AND THE FRIENDLY CHARACTER OF THE STREET TO BE AMPLIFIED WHILE MAINTAINING A COZY ENVIRONMENT INSIDE. AN AREA FOR BIKE STORAGE IS HIDDEN BELOW THE LIVING ROOM TO ALLOW FOR EFFICIENT USE OF SPACE. IT IS DIRECTLY ACCESSIBLE FROM THE STREET BY A SLIDING GATE. THE KINKED ROOF THAT CONNECTS THE NEIGHBORING HOMES SHELTERS TWO SPACIOUS CHILDREN ROOMS ON THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE STRUCTURE. THE GENEROUS SIZE ALLOWS BOTH ROOMS ENOUGH SPACE TO HAVE A DUPLEX SLEEPING NOOK. THE DESIGN OF THE FAÇADE AND THE EXTRAORDINARY ROOF TRANSLATE THE SPECIAL ORGANIZATION OF THIS NEW FAMILY HOME AND GIVE THE STREET A CONTEMPORARY TOUCH.