City refuge

Refurbishment of an apartment in the Aigle Tower, Brussels.

Year ︎︎︎ 2023 - 2024
Phase ︎︎︎ Completed
Surface ︎︎︎ 75 m²
Commission ︎︎︎ Private
Photograpy ︎︎︎ Johnny Umans

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When our clients purchased this 75 m² apartment on the 23rd floor of a Brussels residential tower, they were unsure of their own intentions. Living in a classic Brussels’ mansion a stone’s throw away, was this impulse acquisition to be considered an investment, a vanity project, or a future home?

We decided to treat it as a “city refuge”, a crow’s nest to be inhabited sporadically, when the need arises. Freed from the constraints and expectations of permanent residence, it could be an experiment in minimal living. The focus lay in maximizing the existing qualities: the abundance of light and the extremely wide view, which should be experienceable from anywhere in the apartment. To this effect, all partitioning walls are removed, maximizing surface and creating a bright, flexible and open living area.

Two sculptural furniture volumes, which conceal the building's technical shafts, structure the open plan. One volume anchors the kitchen, defined by a red steel frame and a concrete countertop. The other forms an open bathroom corner, housing a wardrobe, toilet (the only enclosed space), and laundry facilities. A sliding mirrored wall provides temporary privacy and reflects the skyline deep into the entrance hall.

Material choices were defined by the elevator dimensions and a commitment to bio-sourced, low-tech construction. An inner insulation layer of hempcrete and cork ensures a warm, moisture-regulating indoor climate, while ample solar gains almost completely eliminate the need for heating.

In the mean time, the clients have moved in.