Thresholds

For three young families we designed three ecological houses. The ambition was to design houses where inside and outside are interwoven. Different zones appear between private and collective on the thresholds. Through openings, differences in levels and the use of different materials the spaces - both interior and exterior - are connected. Together the three dwellings enclose a collective garden and orient themselves in such a way to profit maximally from the sun and the triangular plot. The interior floors continue into the garden on a raised plinth.

The three houses have the same contruction and are build with a prefabricated wooden frame and with an in-situ hempcrete infill. The layout of the houses can be adjusted to the needs of the families. The houses can adept to future changes within the households with the possibility to create in an easy way at least one extra bedroom. Every room has its own characteristics and qualities, but because of precise dimensions the use can change through time. To minimise the use of concrete the houses are partially build on a concrete floor slab and partly on an elevated wooden floor.