Linq Office/House

Belgian practice 'NU architectuuratelier' has transformed the site of a mid-century bungalow into an office/house. Erected on the foundations of the previous building, the present development was required to have an ambivalent function. It was to be an advertising agency today with scope for conversion to housing tomorrow. The client also demanded an infinite list of possible future functions and applications to be incorporated in the design. This called for an open, flexible layout. The building is situated in an area subject to early floods, and is placed on a white concrete plinth that forms both a literal and metaphorical island. Above the pedestal is a complex form of which the character is neither recognisably commercial nor domestic.

The black sculpture is reminiscent of a modern villa, yet the northlight roof construction is typical of an industrial architecture. Concealed behind the zinc cladding is a steelreinforced timber postandrail structure. The skin of the building is characterised by very refined detailing across the complex geometry. The detailing and geometry applied does not only control the physical and structural characteristics, but also the aesthetics of the building.

The interior is juxtaposed to the exterior. Daylight enters not only through four north-light roofs, creating a diffused lighting mood in the white internal space, but also through four large areas of glazing, each and every one positioned at the edges of the plan. The skylights accentuate the internal space, the windows the connection with the exterior. The open plan is is served by one flat-roofed corner of the rectangular 10 by 18 metre building. This part is screened from the main area and comprises the serving space. It contains a bathroom and kitchen. Every detail, the zinc cladding as well as joints in the concrete floor, is handled with the same intensity. The use of natural materials (concrete, steel, aluminium, black zinc, wood) supports the timeless and monolithical character of the building.