Team: Hé! architects

In this private residence, natural building materials and features were used wherever possible. The timber-framed roof construction was insulated with bales of straw provided by a Brussels farmer. Clay plaster, comprising sand, clay and displaced soil from earthworks on construction sites across Brussels, was used to plaster the walls. The kitchen furniture was made of the same material, this time by tamping the clay to give it a layered appearance. Large parts of the interior of the house, such as the walls and floor platforms, have a modular design, meaning that they can be taken down (and if necessary reassembled) if there is a change in family circumstances.

The project's use of natural and local building materials is still quite unusual, as the majority of new buildings and renovations use products that are manufactured on an industrial scale and shipped to multiple countries. The house thus brings together, in a very small space, an impressive collection of materials that can serve as inspiration for a different and innovative approach to construction – one involving less waste and more reuse of materials, in keeping with the short-supply-chain economy (see also the Circularium project).

Visits on Sunday 17.10.2021 at 12:00 and 13:00 will be given by the architect.

The Covid Safe Ticket applies.