ARCKIT Model 24 - Residence VDB
“I try to give people a different way of looking at their surroundings. That’s art to me. ”
Case Study
Residence VDB by Govaert & Vanhoutte Architects
Photography by Tim Van De Velde
Govaert and Vanhoutte Architects have create a beautifully sculpted, breathtaking precedent for the ultimate bachelor residence. Located along a river Leie in the city of Ghent in Belgium, lies a "bachelor pad," sculpted out of concrete and glass to cater towards the lifestyle of its owner.
At 809 meters squared, Flemish Studio, Govaert and Vanhoutte Architects, have created a dream home for the mid-century modern luxury enthusiast, where most parts of the façade are complete glazed over to bring the owner views of both the river and surrounding garden. Effortlessly combining the geometric intricacies of concrete construction and floor to ceiling windows, Residence VDB deeply resembles work from Mies van der Rohe.
As with many of Govaert and Vanhoutte creations, the programming of the spaces and heavy use of glass blur the lines between both the outdoor and indoor environments. The ground floor is comprised of all the standard "day function" home amenities plus a pool area.
This melding of the exterior vs. interior is played with by the use of glass and wooden walls that are able to slide around; closing or opening various parts of the home and pool area from the river and street allowing for adjustable privacy. The front façade is made up of a large wooden plane that holds two large sliding doors covering a car elevator. On this first floor, each of the private bedrooms includes its own private terrace.
A concrete volume rests on top, containing the master bedroom and additional living quarters. The master bedroom has private access to a higher recessed roof featuring a private terrace equipped with a rooftop jacuzzi with amazing views of its surroundings.
Heading down the stairs or down the car elevator, below ground, a European nightclub-esque entertainment area, sharing a glass wall with the pool, is bought to life with a bar that is backlit by the pool, a DJ booth, a floor to ceiling wine/cigar cabinet, spacious lounge seating and a car showroom floor.
The simply modern architecture combined with the incredible program brings us a carefully crafted balanced atmosphere, perfectly embodying the vibrance of a single lifestyle.
Diagramming
Site and Structural Plan, Elevation and Section Views
Project Details
Focusing on the form of this home, I was able to create a solid representation of the Residence VDB using Arckit. I modified the standard scale of 1:50 and changed it to 1:100 making this my first build using all half wall sections. Using the half wall sections, I was able to create and outline the floor plans for the basement, first and second floors. For the topography I stacked the standard floor tiles creating hollow spaces to save components. I then tiled the green space and left areas untiled to represent the street and concrete pavement foundation that the structure sits upon. Overall it was a pretty easy build to represent and I really enjoyed working at this smaller scale which provided a very nice and crisp model. When building this model I was really able to understand and appreciate the careful balance between Public vs. Private and Open vs. Closed.
Photo Gallery
Video Documentation
Notes
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For more information regarding Arckit visit www.arckit.com or www.rikysongsu.com/arckit.
Thank you!