Wall House by And'rol
Precast concrete lintels with oozing courses of grout create a distinct facade on this house near Brussels by Belgian studio And'rol (+ slideshow).
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_1.jpg)
Named Wall House, the three-story family home is located near to a former stronghold, so And'rol designed a grey-brick facade with concrete lintels to reference the crumbling stone walls of the old fortress.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_4.jpg)
"The relief of the bulging grout reinforces its rough character," said the architects.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_5.jpg)
A low wall surrounding the plot is constructed from the same materials, while the three remaining elevations of the house are clad with dark grey fibre-cement panels.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_6.jpg)
Square windows are scattered across all four elevations. Some are recessed, while others sit flush with the walls and some are screened behind horizontal concrete bars.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_7.jpg)
The house is located on the top of a steep hill and contains a split-level interior that negotiates a change in level across the site.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_8.jpg)
An asymmetric roof creates the necessary head height for the uppermost floor, which features a deep-set window facing out to the south.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_3.jpg)
The kitchen worktop is constructed from a stack of concrete slabs, referencing the building's exterior. Other interior details include a wooden staircase with integrated seating, low-hanging pendant lights and a selection of brightly coloured furniture.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_9.jpg)
Other houses we've featured from Belgium include a residence broken down into cubic volumes and a glass house with a sunken swimming pool. See more Belgian architecture »
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_10.jpg)
Photography is by Georg Schmidthals.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_11.jpg)
Here's a project description from the architects:
Wall House
The plot's particularities are on the one hand its perturbing position close to a steep rock slope, and on the other hand its small depth and its unusual longitudinal orientation parallel to the street.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_13.jpg)
Starting point for the young Belgian architects were traces of a nearby former stronghold. The main design element consists of an enclosing wall with a recessed rising part, to which the modest and sober main house nestles and adapts.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_12.jpg)
A second shallow volume that houses a large number of storage spaces is also located behind the wall.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_2.jpg)
The architects chose precast concrete lintels as a reinterpretation of the old fortress walls of rubble stone. The relief of the bulging grout reinforces its rough character.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_14.jpg)
Inside, a split-level organisation responds to the plot's sloping ground, intensifies the open space concept and gives the compact building a generous and spacious character.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_15.jpg)
The used materials are deliberately kept simple and easy; the bare prestressed concrete slabs, the polished concrete flooring and the concrete bar refer to the enclosing wall.
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_16.gif)
Type: Single family
Location: Near Brussels, Belgium
Client: Private
Architect: AND'ROL
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_17.gif)
Habitable surface:
Completion: July 2013
Construction: Hollow bricks, precast concrete slabs
Energy: Low energy standard
![Wall House by and'rol](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2013/10/dezeen_Wall-House-by-androl_18.gif)