B house in Algiers | Alia Bengana

This house is constructed on a terraced orange grove dotted with some hundred year old palm trees.

The house rests on a base of Kabylie yellow stones, in an existing continuity of terraces. The building in white concrete thus gives the impression of being developed only at the stage, thus reducing its impact on the terrain.

The house has been designed to preserve the existing greenery as much as possible: thus the main entrance located along a stone wall which penetrates inside a double-height space, is carried out by climbing stairs directly in line with a palm tree which is viewed in its entirety through a glass wall.

The main living space is developed at the stage and its southern direction and its terrace coinciding with the upper branches of the orange trees of the lower terrace.

The reception area, an internal and external dining room, as well as the apartment of the owners are directly next to this large terrace. The external dining room, a patio open to the orange grove, is created for a transition between the communal spaces and private space of the house owners.

All the entrances of the houses have been designed as paintings open to the surrounding nature, framed by palm trees, orange trees or yuccas.

In Algeria, for security reasons, it is necessary to add metallic grilles to the entrances. These grilles have been integrated in the architecture from the start of the project. They resemble the wooden or metal grilles in traditional Algerian houses, with metal plates of a 5 cm design two squares.

Specific attention has been given to the environmental impact: the rainwater is collected on the roof to the north and joins the garden irrigation system, while the terrace waters are redirected to the southern side and flow through gargoyles in old tiles salvaged in Kabylie. The flow of water from the terrace thus serves to irrigate the bougainvillea planted along the base.

The wall of the base, very thick, insulates the ground floor rooms from the heat in summer, while the concrete floor is transversely ventilated.