Asa R’ufuoma

Meaning the House of tranquility in Urhobo and commissioned by a Nigerian family in Lubbeek, Belgium. The brief required to accommodate a couple with four children on a land with stringent prescriptions. The local regulation enforced the size and shape of the building area in a 12x10m rectangle. The height was also limited to 6.6m. To add to the regulatory constraints, the Orientation of the House was not ideal.

The idea of a carved box to allow the light's penetration seemed to be a concept we could work with. If the house could not be turned to face South, we could play with the sun path to carve the openings in the volume. The result is a house where the entrance becomes a semi courtyard connecting to a central well of light. In that area, the spiral staircase acts as an anchor between the floors while casting playful shadows in the living space.

It is always interesting to create in what often seems like boring and heavily prescriptive environments. Turning the rules into design opportunities is vital to explore the potential of spatial attributes.