Villa Roces in Bruges

A radical horizontal volume in the woods around Bruges. In its longness it is already very special. The use of materials like wood and concrete and glass makes it very tactile. On one lenght side the house is almost fully covered with wood. Only one window opens it up. All other sides are in full height glass panels. All these features are a concequence of the long , quite narrow terrain that is surrounded by trees. Main purpose was to get light in and reflect it. In the first section of the house, there is only the ground floor containing kitchen and living space. The absolute cunningness starts in the second section. There, a split level has been created without abandoning the initial height above ground of 4 metres. The architects just went underground. Above the kids' rooms, bathroom and office. Underground is the master bedroom with bathroom and tv room. Thanks to the overall high windows and the void created underground, light is in abundance pulled into the house. 'Piece de resistance' is the 'underground' open swimming pool that 'touches' the master bedroom and bathroom. [1]

Villa Roces is integrated in an oblong terrain of about 70m long and 30m wide, situated in the forest surroundings of Bruges. The concept consists of a 50 m long and a 4.20 m high wooden wall flanking 6 m wide glass box is disposed. The house is built along a wall with the intention to meet the lack of light and reflect the presence of the forest, the verticality of the trees, etc. The 54m long wall functions as a background for the transparant volume in front. The wall is not only visible at the outside, but also continuously visible at the inside. As the transparent volume is conceived as a box, the inside space is filled in with clearly defined boxes and volumes and incorporate the structural elements. [2]

Additional info and pictures here.

[1] Ref. Tim Van de Velde photography http://www.tvdv.be/features/aaaavillaroces/

[2] Ref. Architectuurburo Govaert & Vanhoutte http://www.govaert-vanhoutte.be/?q=2119