Noue Studio . photos: © Willem Pab
This project of five villas in Villarsel-le-Gibloux is designed to integrate both into the site’s topography and the existing built fabric, striking a balance between integration and architectural identity. The triangular plot guided the layout of the houses in a staggered arrangement, which helps to break down the volumes and create a more domestic scale. This composition provides a softer perception of the built form, ensuring that each home maintains its privacy while blending harmoniously into its surroundings.
The staggered layout also plays a key role in the roof composition. It allows for overlapping pitched roofs, while a flat roof at the center of each volume accommodates level shifts. This central zone houses the circulation areas and sanitary facilities, adding both functional and visual rhythm to the overall design.
The houses are spread over three levels, following the natural slope of the land. The entrance, located on the east side, is marked by a covered parking space, ensuring smooth and functional access. On the west side, the main living areas open directly onto gardens at ground level, creating a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. The upper floor is dedicated to the bedrooms, offering unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape. This layout ensures a clear separation between living and private spaces while making the most of the site’s natural topography.
The choice of materials was guided by durability, thermal performance, and a connection to the local architectural context. We opted for solid insulating brick, which provides better thermal inertia in both summer and winter. This masonry ensures greater stability and higher-quality rendering, as the plaster is applied to a solid surface, preventing cracks and ensuring long-term durability. The use of massive walls echoes traditional rubble stone constructions, reinterpreting the architectural heritage of local farmhouses.
The base of the houses is built in concrete, ensuring a solid foundation anchored into the terrain, while the upper floor is constructed in wood, bringing lightness and warmth to the living spaces. We chose a more eco-friendly concrete with a higher clay content, which reduces its carbon footprint while giving it a warm beige hue that blends naturally with the other materials used in the project. To maintain a natural materiality, we also opted for lime plaster and anhydrite screeds instead of cement, promoting better thermal and humidity regulation.
The villas feature two different typologies: two 4.5-room units on the periphery and three 3.5-room units in the center. This project offers a contemporary interpretation of individual housing, in dialogue with both the natural and built environment, where material choices and architectural composition contribute to a sensitive and respectful integration within the site.
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Photos : Willem Pab
Furniture : La Superette
Architecte : Noue Studio
