This half-open residence is the last in a row of houses in Hemelrijk, a dead-end street in a woody area in the centre of Genk. The residence is neatly planted among the trees. Each tree on the building site was carefully preserved to contribute to the experience of the seasons in the residence: in the summer the trees filter the light, whereas in the winter they allow the light to penetrate in and provide a special shadow experience.

The architecture is a combination of large recessed and receded glazed sections and simple forms. All spaces – both below and on the first floor - are open to the central outdoor terrace. This terrace - to the left of the residence – is formed by a recess. This intervention makes the outdoor area the central point of the project.
This concept has a big impact on the internal organizational plan: the residence appears to have no entrance. With the kitchen on the street side, the seating area on the garden side, and the dining area between them, to link the two, it seems unclear where the entrance is located. The central outdoor space is the entrance area! Thus the trees around the house serve as doormen.

Dark accents:
The client’s wish to have an austere architecture is reflected in the interior where dark accents are laid. Both internally and externally, the residence is finished with authentic materials.