And’rol: Wall House

The plot’s particularities are on the one hand its perturbing position close to a steep rock slope, and on the other hand its small depth and its unusual longitudinal orientation parallel to the street.

Starting point for the young Belgian architects And’rol were traces of a nearby former stronghold. The main design element consists of an enclosing wall with a recessed rising part, to which the modest and sober main house nestles and adapts. A second shallow volume that houses a large number of storage spaces is also located behind the wall.

The architects chose precast concrete lintels as a reinterpretation of the old fortress walls of rubble stone. The relief of the bulging grout reinforces its rough character. Inside, a split-level organization responds to the plot's sloping ground, intensifies the open space concept and gives the compact building a generous and spacious character. The used materials are deliberately kept simple and easy; the bare prestressed concrete slabs, the polished concrete flooring and the concrete bar refer to the enclosing wall.  

Wall House
Brussels, Belgium
Programme: Single Family House
Area: 138 sqm
Architects: And'rol
Completion: July 2013