KORENBEEK 161 / Sill and Sound Architects srl / Wallonie-Bruxelles Architectures / Wallonie-Bruxelles Architectures

KORENBEEK 161

Programe: The building consists of 3 duplex apartments. Given the narrowness of the land which does not allow to have the desired surfaces on one level only, each duplex develops on 1.5 floors, so the units fit together like the pieces of a Chinese puzzle. The apartments, each with three bedrooms, benefit from north and south orientations and have front and rear views. The bearing structure is ensured by the building’s shared walls, which gives complete freedom in the arrangement of internal spaces.
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About: The aim of using polycarbonate as a facade cladding was to experiment with a new material and to stand out from the traditional landscape through a contemporary intervention. It also pursues other objectives:

• The south facade in polycarbonate maximizes the contribution of natural light, while offering privacy thanks to its translucent character. The interior spaces behind this facade have a maximum opening in order to absorb all the daylight. In the evening, diffused light from these same interior spaces illuminates the street. Throughout the day, the building gradually changes its appearance and transparency thanks to the transfer of lights in these two directions.
• The polycarbonate increases the energy performance of the building, being resistant to UV rays.
• The gap between the building and the polycarbonate ensures continuous ventilation of the facade thanks to a ventilation grid placed in the lower and upper part of the frame.
• The polycarbonate has a long lifespan while being fully recyclable.
• Integrated here in a residential context, the polycarbonate offers a contrast with the rest of the traditional materials.
• The positioning of the windows in relation to the interior fittings, frames the distant landscape, while the immediate neighborhood is blurred by the translucency of the polycarbonate sheets.

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