Architecture Wednesday: Belgium Brutalist

At first glance, this 1979 Brutalist home—from the exterior—looks lovely, sited in a meadow surrounded by trees outside Heverlee, a town in the borough of Leuven in Belgium. But then, as you enter it becomes quite severe and stern, minimalist and institutional, not like a schoolhouse but like the place Hollywood sent Frances Farmer to back in the day.

The architect focused on the aesthetics of concrete elements, like cast concrete and visible raw concrete bricks, to give a powerful and sustainable appearance to the home. But then the many large windows offer a beautiful view of greenery as an extension of the house itself; from every corner of the house you can enjoy breathtaking views and a feeling of peace and serenity. 

On the ground floor there is a hallway, office space, living room, with a dining room and kitchen up a small flight of stairs. The architect used different levels and openness between each levels to create a sense of openness. Also note the many fixed wooden interior elements such as cupboards, drawers and other storage options. Climb another small set of stairs to find the five bedrooms and bathrooms. 

This is a unique example of pure brutalism which is aesthetically beautiful and yet at the same time focused on function. While the location is great: in the fields and forests yet close to modern amenities. And to be fair, the home needs an upgrade to contemporary comfort standards, but the unique Brutalist concept, while not everyone’s cup of tea, has been beautifully retained.

The Spaces

Architecture Wednesday: Phoenix House

Brutalist architecture is characterized by minimalist construction showcasing bare building materials and structural elements over decorative design. Brutalism  commonly makes use of exposed, unpainted concrete or brick, steel, timber and glass, angular geometric shapes and a predominantly monochromatic color palette.

This brutalist masterpiece is in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, near San Diego, and is all of those things and more. Designed by Sebastian Mariscal and dubbed Phoenix House, the three-bedroom dwelling helped Mariscal win the first of three Record House designations when it was completed in 2012., While its façade appears bare and bleak, the 5,616 square foot home evolves entirely around expansive greenery and ocean views. Board-formed concrete interiors open onto outdoor spaces, from a rooftop deck with an outdoor kitchen to breezy balconies, a courtyard garden and a pool, most of which have views of the Pacific Ocean.

Mariscal’s use of tactile concrete walls and slate flooring softened by walnut and mahogany cabinetry and sunlight flooding in through skylights, clerestory openings and apertures that curate views and channel sunshine into the deepest recesses of the five-bedroom home.

The main living space overlooks Cardiff’s familiar but always beautiful Pacific Ocean while the master suite gazes into the peaceful yard and pool area. In the midst of it all, centered between the private walls, is an interior garden, a true focal point of the home.

I’ve always found Brutalism interesting, but rather bleak and institutional, but this house, the way it opens to the views and the greenery and the light, really suits me. Plus, it’s located in the heart of Cardiff's Composer District, on Brahms Road—the most undiscovered, tucked away street, parallel to Rossini Canyon—and feels secluded from the buzzing beach town but is within walking distance to shops, restaurants, entertainment and the beaches.

And it can be yours for $10M.

The Spaces

Architecture Wednesday: Outpost

This is Outpost, and artist’s live/work studio and sculpture garden set on twenty acres in the remote, harsh high desert of Bellevue, Idaho. This ain’t your mama’s vacation spot.

Rising from the high desert floor against a dramatic backdrop of the Sawtooth Mountains, this 3,882 square foot house was designed to age gracefully, to restrict impact on the land and to sort of force the owner to spend time outside. Now, the high desert is a windy spot, so there is an enclosed “paradise garden” where the owner has planted roses, grapes, and espaliered fruit trees that is separated from the landscape by thick masonry walls, but you are still outdoors.

A readily available construction material—concrete block—is used for the primary structure, making it quick and inexpensive to build. Interior finishes include unfinished recycled fir floors, walls, and cabinets; plaster made from natural clays and pigments; and Carrara marble kitchen counters. All of the other materials used in the structure, including the concrete block, car decking [structural tongue-and-groove material], and plywood, require little or no maintenance and are capable of withstanding the extreme weather that characterize the desert’s four seasons.

The separate studio/office, laundry, powder room, garage, and mechanical room are all on the lower entry level, and upstairs is designed around one open, multifunctional room overlooked by a mezzanine bedroom; with living spaces on the second floor, the home remains above the winter snowpack, and provides 360-degree views of the surrounding high desert and mountains.

It’s harsh, like the landscape, but fully functional, and environmentally friendly, and seems like an outpost on a distant planet.

That’s what I call a getaway.

OneKindDesign Olson Kundig