NEST | CSD - Crepain Spaens Debie Architecten

The house is constructed on a very small plot of land in the centre of Antwerp. Measuring only 4 meters wide by 12 meters deep, the challenges were to maximize the spatial qualities, to obtain an abundance of light, and to have a maximum of contacts between the spaces. In order to achieve this, we organised the spaces on split-levels around a central-distribution core constituted of a staircase, an elevator, a technical space and a void to let the light pass through the whole lenght of the house. To contrast the fragmentation and the complexity of the structure and the asymmetricity of the facade, the interiors are designed to create a unique and monolithic character. The walls have a natural lime stucco, floorplates in wood-casted concrete, a polyurethane flooring, all the furnitures are made of birch multiplex. In both of the bathrooms the same polyurethane finish for the floors was bring all over the walls and on the fittings too, giving an extra layer completely waterproof and very easy to clean. The interior colors are chose to match together and to create, once again, a uniform and not contrasting ambient. You can find the same colors on a beach in Camargue on a sunny day: the colors of the sand, the pebbles and the driftwood bleached by the sea formed a whole of matching natural colors that breathe out the calmness and serenity of the beautiful scenery.  We have tried to find an equilibrium in a modern architecture that has a soul, warmth and a specific character coming from the materials.