Behind closed doors: an introverted Belgian house is the perfect hideaway

The exterior of a residential home clad in a dark, heat-treated wood with glass doors, surrounded by green mowed lawn and trees and a view of the skyline

Bruno Vanbesien's House TV is given an interesting, tactile facade thanks to the varying thickness of its dark, wooden cladding

(Image credit: press)

By Philippine Wright

last updated 7 October 2022

in Features

Architect Bruno Vanbesien has designed a family home in Belgium that can literally shut out the rest of the world. This secretive hideout is the result of an unlikely east meets west fusion. Vanbesien's inspiration came from 'the farmhouses typical for that region in Belgium, but also the tulou in south China' - the latter are traditional communal residences found in that part of Asia. Both typologies are introverted vernacular buildings, opening out onto a central courtyard.

Clad in a dark, heat-treated wood, TV House's mysterious exterior features minimal - and concealed - openings. Its playfulness comes from the varied thicknesses of the vertical cladding that create an intriguing texture. Like a wooden, large-scale hologram, depending upon the angle from which the building is approached, the colour shifts continuously through varying shades of black, brown and grey.

Interactive floor plan of a residential home with focus on the ground level design — Take an interactive tour of House TV

Veering slightly from his client's request for a house composed of different volumes, Vanbesien designed a simpler, square-plan house, playing with the volume and hiding the neighbouring houses with a sloped roof. The architect uses an internal courtyard accessed privately from each room to maintain the feeling of separation and isolation the client was looking for. The external dark wood cladding spills into the courtyard, however here, a uniform thickness helps create a more calming, tranquil vibe. By placing the front door inside the courtyard garden he creates a completely private home.

When inside, the house reveals a different, much more open identity. A narrow corridor leads to a large, open plan living and kitchen area, flooded in light from both sides. The dark grey kitchen is neatly concealed by a row of white cupboards, shutting off the mess of everyday life. The gradual upwards gradient of the ceiling offers the space and lightness of a double-height room without feeling too overwhelming in scale and allows sunlight to pour down into the living area from the mezzanine space which is isolated from the rest of the house but not completely shut off.

In the bedrooms, long, narrow windows filter in the sunlight from the south and offer glimpses of the greenery beyond. By running the same grey concrete across the ground floor and into the courtyard space, the architect successfully blurs the boundaries between inside and out, making the house feel bright and open. This material simplicity is continued upstairs, where oak is used all over, giving an organic but homely feel to the main bedroom.

The architects have designed a surprising home that begins by drawing you in with its mystery, only to bring you back into nature with its tantalising proximity to green spaces and the outdoors.

The exterior of a residential home clad in a dark, heat-treated wood with glass doors, surrounded by green mowed lawn and trees — The wooden cladding hides all sorts of technology including the ventilation ducts and even the eaves, allowing the building to retain a sleek, uncluttered facade

A lounge area with floor to ceiling windows and doors, white walls, white ceilings and vinyl floors with a tartan rug set beneath a black coffee table in between a grey three-sater sofa and 2 large cushions. on the far end is a grey three-seater sofa , facing the white cabinet resting against a white wall. — The increasing slope of the roof creates a bright and spacious living area with light flooding in from a mezzanine window

A room designed with oak wood for the floor, bath base and cupboards with mirrors. White walls and slant ceilings — A folding partition wall gives the owners the option of creating a more intimate bathroom space, without compromising on the size of the bedroom

An office space with white walls, ceiling and wooden floors. featuring open oak cabinets (with books) on the left, and on the right a long wall to wall oak table with desk lamp and wide strip window frames with views of the country side — The mezzanine space is open to the living area below offering privacy without total seclusion. The wide strip window frames spectacular views of the Belgian countryside

A kitchen area in a residential home, with white bench, table and chairs on vinyl floors, white ceiling and walls (featuring folding white cupboards. — The kitchen area can be cleverly tucked out of sight thanks to a wall of folding white cupboards

A central courtyard in a residntial home featuring a bbq grill, and white park bench and table on concrete square floor design by a fish pond. surrounded by walls of clad in a dark, heat-treated wood with glass doors — The central courtyard is a tranquil oasis that can be accessed and enjoyed from all rooms in the house

A structured designed residential home with floor to ceiling glass windows, surrounded by greenery — Windows on both sides of the living area allow light to flood in throughout the day and can transform the house into a lightbox at night

A courtyard in a residential home, with a white bench and table combo on concrete flooring, with a fish pond on one side and green plants on the other side — The front door is hidden away in the courtyard behind the facade, shutting the house off from the outside world

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