Team: AgwA; JZH & Partners

Could one solution to the climate issue be simply to insulate buildings less? In this house (part of a former warehouse complex), the architects from AgwA experimented with this by insulating just a few rooms while having outdoor conditions through the rest of the building. From the herb garden right through to the rooftop vegetable garden, visitors will have a captivating experience exploring this house, set behind an anonymous garage in a residential street in Molenbeek.

The building's purpose switches in the winter and the summer. The greenhouse on the roof is hot in the summer, while the space on the ground floor is used for refrigeration purposes in the winter. These different conditions were the norm in old houses, but are now less and less commonplace for townhouses, raising questions about current insulation standards and rules.

The original concrete structure in the middle of a block within the complex has been transformed into a home. The original structure can be seen throughout, but has been supplemented by a new wooden structure, platforms and staircases, and see-through glass sections in walls and floors. Every part of the building also has its own ambience, whether it be the basement studio where clay artworks are left to dry, the first-floor apartment with its homely atmosphere and plethora of books, the bedrooms in the ridge of the roof, or the greenhouse with its vegetables, flowers and plants.

On Sunday, tours will be given throughout the afternoon by the architect between 13:00 and 18:00 (without reservation) - as part of the Dag van de architectuur (D/a).

The Covid Safe Ticket applies.