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Location: Brussels
Project size: 7,100 square feet

Program: This primary residence for a family with two young children, one who uses a wheelchair, sits on a plot that’s densely planted along its edges for privacy. The house’s circular plan collects a set of rooms interconnected with large door openings, while its second floor, accessible only to the other child, is “hidden” in a hat-like roof. Ultimately, these spaces were conceived as spatial surplus to a generous home where dimensions defined by the exceptional (the wheelchair) are completely normalized to create a perfectly natural space for living.

Design Solution: The house was designed by 2009 Design Vanguard OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen to maximize the site’s surface area on one floor while adhering to regulations and ensuring full accessibility for a child in a wheelchair. To achieve this, the firm opted for an octagonal design, which provides an efficient layout and seamless flow between spaces and ensures that all essential family functions are accessible on a single level, minimizing barriers and optimizing the use of space.

The ground floor serves as the family’s main living area, offering accessibility and comfort. One quarter of the space is dedicated to the living room, creating a central hub for social and family activities. Individual bedrooms, each with its own en-suite bathroom, are found on three sides of the octagon. The remaining sections include the kitchen, a pool area, and the entrance to the duplex, which leads to the nanny’s quarters upstairs. The second floor, separate from the ground level, accommodates guest rooms and the nanny’s living space, ensuring autonomy while maintaining integration within the home.

Photo © Bas Princen

Structure and Materials: The house’s structure consists of a square concrete basement inscribed within the octagonal ground floor plan. The ground floor walls integrate concrete columns that support a circular concrete beam that carries the roof, which includes four large pots for vegetation. The second floor is constructed as lightweight wooden roof volumes.

Additional Information
Completion date: January 2023
Site size: .48 acres
Total construction cost: $2,600,000
Client/Owner: Witheld

Photos © Bas Princen

Images courtesy OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen; click to enlarge