lhoas + lhoas: c+c house

‘c+c house’ by lhoas + lhoas, brussels, belgium images courtesy of 354 photographers

belgium based architects lhoas + lhoas have designed ‘house for c + c’, a multi-level warehouse conversion for a family living in the heart of brussels. featuring a prominent staircase and a stark palette of black and white, the dwelling, which sits within a larger residential complex, explores the boundaries of an orthogonal plan by shifting the space with the addition of misaligned volumes.

principal bedroom

shower stall in ensuite bathroom

accessed through a shared ground floor entrance, the structure is composed of an organic and expansive plan that is distributed over four and a half storeys. the principal bedroom and children’s rooms are located on the second and third levels respectively, reserving the top floor for the kitchen, living and dining room where views of the surrounding city are optimal.

staircase

a dark twisting mass pierces through the structure, connecting each level to the next, becoming more exaggerating and exposed as the program unfolds. pivoting walls respond to the movement and placement of the central staircase as they skew and rotate away from the volume.

rooms and corridors are treated simply and similarly, introducing smooth surfaces in either black or white to contrast the textural concrete ceiling original to the warehouse.

(left) third storey corridor (right) stairs leading up to kitchen, living and dining

a faceted ceiling on the top floor – an additional volume added to the existing structure – responds to the geometric dimension introduced through the staircase. the collapsing forms collectively migrate to a single point in the room, creating a delicate transition between the shifting volumes within the space.

fourth level and loft

in the kitchen, which is tucked beneath the loft to provide a more appropriate scale, an assemblage of distinct forms and objects compose a stark and modular work environment. individual metal frame structures, not dissimilar from that of a bicycle, link together to provide a series of work surfaces that can be used alone or as a group. fixed oak cabinets housing the sink and pantry space run the length of one concealed wall, leaving the rest of the space free of visual clutter.

living room