La Hulpe House

This was a personal project for it is the residence of Rodolfo Pedro Augspach and his family as well as the home of Augspach Architecture. The house itself dates back to the 1950s and it could be seen that it had received numerous modifications since its conception, but these were each done at a very local scale and no big intervention has ever taken place. As a result the house was an amalgamation of things which did not really work together. It had 2 staircases, which were both relatively small, 2 outdated kitchens and a veranda which in spite of its almost 20 m² is almost impossible to exploit given its proportions.
Profiting from the fact that a full renovation had to be foreseen, every function of the house was relocated to serve the new purpose. The more public spaces such as the entrance hall and the architectural office along with the service areas such as the stairs and the bathrooms were placed against the street façade. These “service” areas serve as an effective buffer protecting the more intimate spaces from the noise coming off the nearby road. This way, the living room, dining room and kitchen are all aligned and facing towards the garden.
On the first level, the floor to ceiling height was relatively limited at 2.40 m. beyond this height was the attic which at the highest point had a floor to ceiling height of 1.75 m. This attic was not just uncomfortable but its access was a complicated one via a trap door. The vast underground level of 110 m², rendered this space nearly useless given its inconvenience. Therefore the joists were removed so as to uncover the full height for the first level. So as to exploit up to a maximum this volume, the angle set by the roof slope was mimicked on an opposite side for each one of the bedrooms, creating an ample, yet cozy feeling.
The main façade required some major modifications as well. There were 2 main issues identified. First of all, the slope for the car was well over 20%, rendering the garage inside practically inaccessible for a car. Furthermore, the roof on the vertical sides, which had to be replaced, were creating a nearly symmetric effect with the walls. Given the long proportion of the house this gave an idea of heaviness which was rather unsought after. So as to break this effect, 2 vertical bay windows were added, oriented towards the public area nearby (Mazzerine shopping center) which is also the south orientation.
In order to accommodate these new volumes, the existing balcony which serves as the main entrance needed to be demolished. This operation allowed for the garage entrance to be aligned with the façade, gaining another metre and a half which results in a gentler slope for the car.