House C-VL in De Haan: silent dialogue with the Flemish landscape
- Architecture: Graux & Baeyens Architecten
- Photography: Johnny Umans
In a rural setting near the coast of De Haan (Belgium), Graux & Baeyens Architecten designed the C-VL House as an exercise in containment and a sensitive response to the site. The building adapts to an elongated plot, embracing the shape of the land without imposing itself. The proposal is based on a logic of morphological adaptation, which avoids blunt gestures in favor of an architecture that unfolds on the first floor with a controlled, austere and precise volumetry.
Integrated architecture, not imposed
The ceramic tile roof marks the identity of the complex, enveloping the volume almost as a monolithic piece. This solution not only responds to urban and climatic conditions, but also allows for a loft to be housed in the interior, providing height and fluidity to the spaces. The rhythm of the skirts breaks the linearity of the floor plan, providing variation and nuances to the interior-exterior perception of the house.
Materiality and light: sobriety at the service of habitation
Casa C-VL is built from an honest and restrained palette: white painted brick, wood and ceramic tile. Far from seeking prominence, the materials integrate naturally into the landscape and the local building tradition, reinterpreting its codes with a contemporary language. Inside, plaster and natural wood provide warmth without resorting to ornamentation, creating a serene and functional atmosphere.
This same approach is transferred to the treatment of natural light, managed with precision through large openings that open onto patios or the garden. The lighting does not seek effect, but wellbeing: it filters, shades, accompanies. Porches, deep frames and thresholds act as climatic and visual filters, weaving a direct but delicate relationship with the exterior. The house thus becomes a luminous and silent refuge, where architecture disappears to make room for everyday life.
Architecture at the service of everyday life
Casa C-VL is not a formal manifesto, but a living space. Its program responds to the needs of a family, with connected rooms, spacious common areas and corners that allow privacy. The architecture, far from wanting to surprise, is at the service of a quiet way of living, designed on a human scale.
