BA Residence is a minimal home located in Wilrijk, Belgium, designed by Vincent Van Duysen. Consideration of the highly residential character of the neighborhood and beautiful protected trees on the site were key influences to how the client’s brief was met. The architectural concept was developed around these parameters with traditional modernist references found in Mies Van Der Rohe’s Krefeld Villa’s or the brick residences of local Antwerpen architect Nachman Kaplansky. The use of materials – red brick, dark-grey window frames, large glass surfaces, and recessed eaves – makes reference to the cottage-villa typology, however, the consistent and rigorous application of these materials produces a new entity and atmosphere within the neighborhood. A timeless design that, because of its subdued manner, opposes the neo-kitsch villas to be found nearby. The concept for the house is driven by the format of the brick and its application across several stacked and offset geometries that aim to draw the garden into the interior, give the project a sculptural quality.

Photography by Koen Van Damme & Ellen Claes