Following the rhythm of life: Blanco Architecten in Leuven

Belgian firm Blanco Architecten designed Project H in the city of Leuven. This very contemporary-looking, single-family townhouse in the centre of Leuven has been designed for use at all ages.


It's always a challenge for architects to design a house in the centre of a city, surrounded by other buildings, some attractive, others drab and dreary. Even more so when the footprint is only 40 square metres and it has only one facade to comply with the client's brief, in this case a house that would follow the rhythm of life, suiting their purposes as they age.
This isn't the first time Blanco Architecten has been faced with a challenge like this, because there is an increasingly frequent demand for houses and apartments that can be enjoyed at all ages, in comfort and serenity (link article).
The old house was demolished to make way for what is essentially a small tower whose four floors above the street level have a streamlined and contemporary facade, marking the levels with materials - Corten steel on the ground floor facade softens upwards into white walls with large windows.
Each floor is fully optimised, following the creative exploitation of this quite minuscule footprint. The floors are connected by stairs as well as a lift, obviously thinking of the needs of the inhabitants as they age.
The functional layout of the house by Blanco Architecten follows the rhythm of life of its owner who moves higher and higher as the day passes, in order to follow the light: from the bedroom on the first floor above the entrance and garage upwards to the kitchen and living area then the office to arrive at the urban veranda on the top floor with great views over the rooftops of Leuven.
With Project H, the architects from Blanco Architecten once again show how much restrictions and limitations in addition to very precise client briefs are a true incentive to creative design. And we might add that living in a modern house in a city, a house that follows the rhythm of life of its inhabitants has its own really special charm.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: Blanco Architecten
Location: Leuven, Belgium
Year: 2016
Photographer: Kristel Merckx
Related article: http://www.floornature.com/blog/a-low-environmental-impact-home-for-seniors-8721/