House J, Gistel
designers:
Annekatrien Verdickt & Marc Belderbos
client:
privé
general contractor:
Furnibo nv
location:
Gistel
status:
completed in 2004
This project was conceived with a single type of material in mind. The material thus defines its architecture in texture, construction and structure. Walls, floors and ceiling were executed in exposed concrete. Four solid parallel walls — 23m long and 8.4m high — were embedded in the site like concrete elements in the landscape. All of the living activities quite literally take place between those four walls and can be employed for multiple uses. Their composition with defined openings creates spatial relationships, transparency and vistas through to the landscape.
The four bearing walls, two outer walls and two inner walls, support the floor slabs. The floor slab and the basement slab ensure that the two inner walls can be locked for the horizontal transverse equilibrium of the building. The two outer walls are connected to the inner walls by the roof level and the upper story. The fifth inner wall is not load bearing; it spans 13m from a column and is anchored at the roof plane with a thin steel pre-stressed bar. The wall floats a few centimeters above the floor slab of the upper story. The walls also support the steel beams which are used as window glazing structures.
To achieve a smooth uniform texture, self-compacting concrete was used. This is a far more liquid medium when poured than traditional concrete. However, when the project was executed six years ago, in 2003, this technique was still new. Opting for this particular type of concrete initiated the start of an intense cooperation between architect and engineer as well as with the building contractor and the concrete specialist. As a team they managed to overcome — down to the last detail — all of the difficulties associated with the precision required for the exposed concrete.
client:
privé
general contractor:
Furnibo nv
location:
Gistel
status:
completed in 2004