Villa Roces

Villa Roces is integrated in an oblong terrain of about 70m long and 30m wide, situated in the forest surroundings of Bruges. The concept consists of a 51 m long and a 4.20 m high wooden wall flanking a 6m wide glass box.
The wall, functioning as a background for the transparent volume, meets with the lack of light and reflect the presence of the forest, the verticality of the trees, etc.

As the transparent volume is conceived as a box, the inside space is filled in with clearly defined boxes and volumes and incorporate the structural elements.

The glass box is indented at three sides:
- the underground parking place
- the half underground swimming pool
- And one to give access, at the backside of the house

The plan concept is very simple:
- On the level of the garden there is the income, kitchen, dining room and fireplace.The kitchen can be separated from dining room with a big sliding door.
- The bedroom section of the children and the master bedroom are situated one above the other and put in split-level with the living room.
- In front of the master bedroom there is a secondary sitting room on the full height of the building
- A slope provides the connection between the living room and the bedroom section of the children.
- By using a splitlevel, the total height of the house remains low. This horizontal character is key in contrast with the high trees that surround the house.
- Under the living room and kitchen is the underground parking situated. This underground space was also of main importance in order to reduce the total build volume above ground level, giving the house the visual impression of a big pavilion.

“The work of the Russian artist Malevich transcends the figurative, the narrative, the identifiable… to attain an abstract dimension of both mathematical and artistic concepts like proportion, dimension, modulation, composition, balance ... With suprematism he meant the domination of the pure emotional experience in art.

We also aim to attain this abstraction, this transcendence … in our schemes, ever starting from a functional analysis of the programme and the surroundings, along with artistic vision, resulting in an authentic concept that remains linked to its content and location.”

2010 Winner architectural award Belgian Coast‘Ark#01’ BE
2011 Winner Awards & Special award Civic Trust Awards, UK
2012 Winner Record Houses 2012 Architectural Record US
2012 Winner Leaf Awards category Residential Building of the year (Single Occupancy) UK
2013 Winner IDA Awards Los Angeles met 2 silver awards US
2013 Winner “House Of The Season” AI magazine, Israel
2013 Winner 2 awards Iconic Awards with “Notarishuys” in category Public & “Euroinvest” in category corporate, DE
2014 Winner award Civic Trust Awards with “Kazematten Ypres in category international projects, UK
2014 Winner award Febe Awards with “Enjoy Concrete” Veurne in category “Precast in Buildind”, BE
2014 Winner IDA Awards Los Angeles with bronze award for “ Enjoy Concrete, HQ” in category New Commercial Building, US
2015 Nomination AR MIPIM Future Projects Awards with “Golden Ratio “ in Ghent in category Residential, UK
2016 Winner Architizer A+ Awards with “ Golden Ratio “ in Ghent in category Unbuilt Residential, US
2017 Winner IDA Awards with “Residence VDB” in Ghent in category new residential building, US
2020 Winner “Domus International Awards” university Ferrara, IT