THE SETTING Situated between Mons and Soignies, the plot chosen by the owners has an abundance of vegetation and slopes down towards the wooded area at the bottom of the plot. It is set in a narrow lane lined with four-fronted villas, which are quite conventional... THE APPROACH The main thrust of the project is based on the environmental issue...

How do a young couple envisage the construction of their home in an environmental, economic and social context ? The values defended are the quality of the materials used, their environmental impact and the sustainability of the whole. The guiding principle is to aim as far as possible for an acceptable environmental balance not only during construction, but throughout the life of the building. This fundamental aspect will guide the thinking, the choices and the design method throughout the process of setting up the project.

LOCATION The volumes are laid out in a fairly pragmatic way: a long, narrow volume forms the junction with the public space, sinking into the ground against a semi-recessed transverse volume. The functions are divided up according to the path of the sun: the sleeping areas are located on the garden level, giving them all the privacy they need as they face the garden; the living areas are located on the ground floor and gradually rise in height as the land slopes downwards. They can benefit from a terrace facing due west and a balcony at the rear, a way of living high up and being privileged spectators of life in the crowns of the trees...

VOLUMETRY In keeping with local typology, the main volume has a gable roof. This sober, uncluttered volume creates an open, voluminous interior atmosphere, with large openings to the surrounding countryside, breaking down the interior/exterior boundary. The main volume is supported by a flat-roofed plinth, which also encourages interior/exterior connections. THE ENERGY ISSUE The thermal efficiency of the building envelope has, of course, been studied with a view to achieving energy self-sufficiency.

This objective has been accompanied by a study of the materials used and their environmental impact. The skeleton of the building is made up of a prefabricated timber structure with wood fibre blown into it. This high-performance envelope is complemented by heat pump systems for both heating and domestic hot water, and dual-flow ventilation.