Living and work area, Egide Meertens

The working area is located in the back garden of the living area.

Project details

• Project Name: Living and work area
• Client: Egide Meertens
• Project Type: Practice
• Principal Designer/s: Egide Meertens
• Design Team: Egide Meertens Architect bvba
• Contractor/s: Masonry Work: C&L | Roofwork: Devad | Outside Cabinet Work: Cosemans Constructies | Heating And Sanitary Work: Heedfeld Nv | Electricity: Castro Technics | Plasterwork: Winten
• Date of commencement of project: 2003
• Date of completion of project: 2005
• Location of site: Iers Kruisstraat 60, Riemst (Belgium)
• Site Area: 2000 sq. mt.

View from the street side.

Words from the Designer

Due to the ever-growing customer base and the increasing number of staff, the old offices became too small. A new space for the firm became a necessity and resulted in the construction of a separate building, behind the existing office-outhouse.

Because of the construction of this new volume, the space at the back is divided. A courtyard was made in the enclosed space between the existing building and the new one. The existing house looks out onto this patio, where we opted for a minimally designed plantation. The inflow of light and air, as well as the sidewall in quarry-stone transform this inner area into a pleasant, quiet space, with a high level of intimacy. Behind the new volume, the eye moves over an open, rural landscape with pastures and orchards that are partly located on the property.

View of the entrance of the working area.

The new office building is a restrained rectangular volume, covering two floors. On the ground floor, a roofed passageway leads to the rear-grounds. The front of the building is a closed wall with a small glass section above the passageway. This enhances the private nature of the courtyard even more. The rear-wall is entirely of glass, giving a wide view over the open landscape, towards the horizon. The materials used are concrete, glass and wenge, which go from the passageway through to the cabinet walls inside in order to form a transition area.

The glass wall at the back stretches from the ground to the roof. It is removed from the building in order to obtain a homogeneous view. Both floors in the building are open-plan spaces, with a reception area on the ground floor and workspaces on the top floor. The natural slope of the grounds also plays a major part in the overall configuration. The specific positioning of the building on the slope is such that it looks as if the green slope penetrates the reception area on the ground floor.

View of the reception area.

The design and subdivision of the building also pays attention to the flexibility of functions and the new purpose of the whole. Because both floors are open spaces, the architect's office can be transformed into compact accommodation space very easily, with minor intervention.

In addition to the restrained use of materials in the building, a high level of detail is obvious in the finishing. Built-in plinths, window frames integrated into the floor, indirect lighting, switches flushed with the walls and sliding cabinets enhance this sobriety.

View of the working area.

As far as the spatial concept and choice of materials go, we have worked with contrasts: curved - straight, light - dark, old - new, cold - warm, smooth - textured.

View from the back.

Credits

• Text by Egide Meertens (translation by 'Aalsters Vertaalbureau')
• Photographs by Philippe van Gelooven and Grazia Ike-Branco, Courtesy of Egide Meertens
• Edited by Varun M Ajani