Brown-red Linea 3011 helps realise sleek lines of this contemporary NZE home

Building on a location that was granted a permit for a different zone always presents a challenge. How do you fill those 1000 cubic metres without feeling like you’ve got to make concessions? Another challenge with this plot was to find the right architecture that would respond to both the wooded garden at the back and to the natural beauty of the outlying region of the Damvallei, low moorland formed by a number of silted-up meanders of the Scheldt at the front. CAS was given carte blanche and rewarded the confidence shown in it by building a home which is impressive, while blending in perfectly with its natural surroundings at the same time.

The house itself has a T-shaped floor plan and comprises two large beams, with the upper beam being positioned at right angles to the other. This layout creates a substantial overhang above the entrance area and the carport at the front and the covered terrace at the back. The approach to the house does not follow a straight path: it swings out in the direction of that covered area. This enables the difference in level to be cleverly absorbed in the surrounding layout. That difference in level was created by raising the ground level slightly in order to enable the exceptional view of the Damvallei at the front to be enjoyed without being seen. As a result, the large glazed area at the front looks out on a tableau vivant. In the right-hand beam, the home office or practice, seating area and dining area merge into each other, separated from each other only by room dividers, and with a walkway along the façades. The kitchen is located in the transverse volume and faces the garden.

CAS has experience with dossiers that do not belong in a particular zone and was set on contemporary architecture from the start – but with respect for the natural environment. Pieter-Jan Leenknecht, CAS: “A design based on the laws of nature implies that a house should not conflict with these in terms of its form and materiality. A volume finished with white façade plaster would therefore be inappropriate in this location. We looked for a balanced pallet of materials consisting of natural building materials and we quickly came up with a combination of concrete, wood and brick. The large slabs of glass give the whole building a sleek look and bring nature inside, both at the front and at the back. In order to support the austere architecture and at the same time allow the building to blend in with nature, we opted for a slim brown-red brick. Linea 3011 is not a machine-made brick but rather a sanded thin facing brick with subtle shading. Rather than combining the brick with a classic joint, we used thin bed brickwork set in a random bond. In addition, the dark grey deep-set mortar shows off each brick to its best advantage. The brickwork enabled us to really accentuate the lines in the architecture.”