Private Home Belsil

Context

On the edges of Antwerp, a straightforward, minimalistic private villa was built. The interior and the exterior are in very close contact with each other. The site is in a green environment with pines, softwoods, bird-cherry trees and planted conifers. On three sides, the site is bordered by a paved council road. The home itself measures 5,589m², with a surface area of 393m² (without the upper storeys). Not included are the covered spaces, sheds, the swimming pool and the terraces. Including the additional buildings, the total surface area is approximately 472m². These additional buildings have replaced several existing sheds. The new constructions are sustainable and better represent the aesthetics of the whole property. The new buildings also score highly in environmental friendliness: with its driven insulation, air-tight design and intelligent ventilation system, the home uses relatively little energy. In the summer, overheating is avoided by means of the large eaves. In the winter, when the sun lies low in the sky, the heat can still make its way inside.

Architecture

The facades have been fitted with an interchange of white architectural concrete panels and wooden plating. The joinery is aluminium. All materials are of the highest quality and great attention has been paid to insulation. Inside the house, there is a lift that extends from the basement level up to and including the first storey. One of the requests from the tenants was to minimise the barrier between the indoor and outdoor spaces to help facilitate the many parties organised at the house. The large glass partitions to the kitchen and the living room ensure that the interior appears to continue through to the terrace. This creates a very spacious effect. The house also had to be very straight and minimalist. This architectural approach was maintained throughout the interior. At the same time, the home was given a warm and homely feel. 

Interior

The interior design was a balancing exercise in which straight minimalism was prevented from becoming sterile. This was achieved using contrasts between dark and light. The kitchen is white, the cabinets have a veneer of dark pin oak. For the kitchen, bathroom and the terrace, there was a search for a darker tile that suited this colour palette without appearing too sterile. The tiles also needed to measure at least one metre by one metre. The greatest eye-catcher is the swimming pool with its adjustable floor. The floor of the swimming pool has been covered in the same tile used in the kitchen and on the terrace. It is also height-adjustable; it can be raised to the same height as the rest of the terrace, effectively making the swimming pool invisible. The floor can be set at any height so that it can also serve, for example, as a footbath. It then looks somewhat more like a lovely pond. The swimming pool also has a tiled staircase that sinks, step by step, with the floor of the swimming pool.

In the green border east of Antwerp stands a sleek, minimalist villa. ‘The interior and exterior are closely interrelated,’ explains the interior architect at CONIX RDBM Architects. This was an important demand of the owners for the design. With a tile measuring one square metre, Mosa contributed to this total effect. The real eye-catcher in the design is a swimming pool with moving floor that has been integrated with the patio.

The owners were closely involved in the construction of the building and made their wishes and requirements very clear from the start. Because they host many parties in their home, it was important to them that the barrier between inside and outside was as minimal as possible. The large glass windows in the kitchen and the living room create the effect of the interior seemingly flowing seamlessly into the patio creating a spatial effect. The home had to be sleek and minimalist and the owners wanted this architectural element to be integrated throughout the interior. At the same time, the complete look had to create a warm, inviting feel.

Balancing act Designing the interior was a balancing act between creating a sleek look without making it too sterile. So contrasts of light and dark were used extensively throughout the design. The kitchen is white and the cupboards a dark pin oak veneer. A dark tile was needed for the kitchen, bathrooms, and the patio that would match the colour palette and didn't come across as too clean. This tile also had to measure at least one by one metres. Ultragres Terra Maestricht by Mosa is available in one square metre-size and its look and colour perfectly matched the requirements.

Practically inclined Aesthetics is just one side of the coin. After all, a home must be lived in too. The owners, and especially the lady of the house, are incredibly practically inclined and they didn't want to make the same mistakes twice. They've had previous experience with natural stone and bluestone and didn't want to work with these materials again. In addition to hosting parties, their grandchildren come to visit them often and this influenced their selection of an easy to maintain ceramic tile.

Swimming pool The ultimate eye-catcher, however, is the swimming pool with moving floor. The bottom of the pool is laid with the same Terra Maestricht tile that is used in the kitchen and on the patio. The height of the floor of the pool can be adjusted. If you raise the floor completely, it is at the same height as the rest of the patio and the pool is no longer visible. You can secure the pool at any height, so you could even create a shallow pool that looks like a pond.

Support from Mosa This project was quite a challenge for the architect and for Mosa, especially to get the alignment exactly right. The swimming pool also has tiled steps that sink away step by step with the floor of the swimming pool. This is why CONIX RDBM Architects chose to work with Mosa, as they work with you to find solutions and are always flexible.