House of East and West / Balut Architecture
House of East and West / Balut Architecture
- region:
140 square meters
year:
2023
Manufacturers: Fritz Jürgens, Walther decor, money, Forester is unique , Isoflas, Pavatax, Pete Boone’s studio, TBP Tech-
Main architects:
Tjerd Bluthofd
Textual description provided by the architects. East-West House’s clients come from China and the Netherlands. They have traveled all over the world, among other things, and lived in Asia for some time. They have now returned to the Netherlands, purchasing a typical uninsulated brick house from the 1930s in The Hague. Their request was to create a sustainable, modern, attractive and warm extension and renovation where the two worlds, East and West, come together.
From a classical point of view, stone dominates Western architecture, and wood dominates Asian architecture. In Asian architecture, partly due to the climate, materials often extend from the inside to the outside. The structure and functionality are defined less tightly and more easily. Western architecture is more defined, with clean lines and everything having a function.
The corner house was dissected and became part of a spatial scheme in which functions overlap and are interchangeable. Only the kitchen was repaired, distributed over 3 items in the room. The material palette consists of wood, concrete and steel, but there are different types and textures of each material. This rich pallet adds warmth, depth and variety to the design.
The extension façade is involved in playing the plasticity and volume of the existing house. The rendering and detailing contrast with the brick facade, but ensure a cohesive material palette. At the rear, the expanse is enormous in design. A lot of height was created by lowering the span. The reduction also makes the design fun with level variations and stairs. The prefabricated concrete façade continues inward in the form of a concrete grid but also extends to the sunken garden surrounded by seating ledges. This creates a garden-like environment with seating space all around. The concrete structure that continues outside and inside arises from the rhythm and supporting structure of the existing house. This means that the renovation and expansion as a whole works as an integrated whole.
The entrance to the house consists of a galvanized steel skylight that protrudes through the wooden facade of the extension. There is a steel pivot door in the alcove that is the same width and height as the hall. This door is also made of raw galvanized steel. Once you cross the gate, you will enter the new spacious hall. A new wooden wall guides the user from the entrance to the back of the house. This wooden wall has all the supporting functions including toilet, wardrobe, technology, storage and kitchen.
From the hall you enter the heart of the new house. The heart of the new house was formed under the large skylight in the extension of the house. It’s bright, there’s greenery, and large precast concrete steps provide seating. The lack of a clear function for this space is what makes it so powerful. Thus it creates calm in the room and enriches the home.
(Tags for translation)Architecture
