Across three timber-swathed storeys, this family house in Belgium takes the classic domestic archetype and subverts it through a rigorous, stripped back geometry. Inspired by the classic parlour game of constructing pitched-roof houses from a pack of cards, the structure has steeply raked roofs that fold seamlessly into detail-free façades, with meticulously aligned slim timber cladding creating uniformity and simplicity.
The house is clad in Douglas-fir battens
The house itself was built on existing foundations in a neighbourhood where zoning restrictions constrained the volume and height of the building. Vantieghem Talebi, the practice responsible for the new design, created a form that evoked historic beach houses in the neighbourhood, maximising the available envelope on the original foundations with a cruciform shaped structure that informed the position and height of the structural bays.
The ground floor living area
The kitchen, adjacent to the floating staircase
The project makes extensive use of prefabricated CLT (cross laminated timber) panels, which were assembled on site in a matter of days. Each of the house’s four bays houses a room with a ceiling that reaches up into the eaves. Described by the architects as ‘pitched chapels’, the interiors feature timber cladding on the walls and timber flooring throughout, while the living areas on the floor below have white walls and timber flooring.
The staircase sits in the heart of the living area on the ground floor
The staircase alongside the kitchen
In the basement level, there is poured concrete and rendered walls, creating a distinct progression as one ascends through the house. The façade and roof use the same chemically seasoned Douglas-fir battens, all pre-made to avoid screws or nails from intruding on the simple aesthetic, with concealed gutters and drainage also preserving the house’s lines.
One of the bedrooms located in the 'chapels'
An en-suite bathing area
Thanks to the structural panel construction, the 265 sqm interior is free of columns and other visible structural elements. The suspended main staircase, which appears to float just about the floor level, hangs from the timber first floor. Window openings are free of glazing bars whilst other minimal touches include the glass banister that surrounds the stair to the lower floor. The surrounding landscape was restored, while concrete incisions create slots for access and parking.
The lower ground floor also houses a garage
House of Cards, Belgium by Vantieghem Talebi
Based in Venice Beach, California and Basel, Switzerland, Vantieghem Talebi consists of Paul Vantieghem and Raha Talebi. Vantieghem previously worked with Stéphane Beel Architects and Herzog & de Meuron, where he was involved with the Tate Modern Extension in London. Talebi also worked with H&deM, on projects like Hong Kong’s M+ Museum and Powerhouse Arts in New York, as well as at FOA in London.