Long, pale-grey bricks create a uniform appearance for the three blocks that make up House J-VC in Belgium, and allow sunlight to penetrate through the entire building, without losing views of the wetlands behind.

Given carte-blanche on the form of the house, Graux & Baeyens Architecten designed it to maximise the use of space and natural light, while avoiding coming too close to the neighbouring houses and without losing out on the views over the river behind.
"The nicest feature of the location that had to be incorporated, was the view at the back of the plot, facing the river and wetlands," said Graux & Baeyens Architecten.

"Unfortunately a fully glazed facade looking at the vast landscape would not bring any direct sunlight into the house since it is orientated to the north," continued the studio. The solution was to divide the functions of the house into three, two-storey brick volumes, keeping the communal spaces on the ground floor and the private bedrooms and bathrooms on the first.

The blocks are oriented to maximise light on the site ? a strategy that echoes its staggered block approach for a house in the village of Mullem, which the studio completed in 2013.
The blocks of House J-VC are angled around a central patio so that each one has a facade facing the sun, creating a partially-enclosed space that acts as a garden room and a circulation area. The total built area of the house is 198 square metres, with 165 square metres of u...