Govaert & Vanhoutte unveils brutalist villa in the Belgian woods

Residence FSD offers harmony between the manmade and the natural, modernity and a site-specific approach, brutalist concrete and a leafy context. Created by Bruges based architecture studio Govaert & Vanhoutte, the private villa is the primary residence for a family living outside Brussels, and wishing to balance a contemporary home with being close to a more natural environment. 

Engulfed in its woodland setting, sat just on the edge of a forest, the house feels distinctly modern and minimalist, but it was designed to take its cues from the landscape around it. Nestled in a steep slope, it was shaped by its inclined terrain, with an entrance on the plot's highest point and the main living areas orientated towards the drop and the green views beyond. 

Spanning two levels, the brutalist home features a generous, dual aspect piano nobile, where all the main living spaces are located. The master bedroom, a walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom are also on this floor, on the east of the building, flooded in light through a secluded patio that punctures the house's monolithic volume. The lower level contains a garage and facility spaces, such as storage, utility room and a wet room, but also includes a multipurpose room and a further three bedrooms. 

Openings were planned carefully by the architecture team, working with the sun's path, they explain, in order to help naturally cool down and heat the interior: ‘In the summer the sunlight is partially blocked by the trees. In the winter, the bare trees allow a maximum of sunlight to enter the house.'

Special attention was paid to the areas where the brutalist build space meets nature, so surrounding the house is an abundance of outdoors spaces, such as a long decked terrace, concrete canopies and a striking swimming pool with long forest vistas. As a gesture that shows the architecture's respect towards the existing landscape, the pool's depth was adjusted to accommodate the roots of an old tree on site.

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