— Project intent
A precise answer to the site and programme.
In Rhisnes, in the province of Namur (Wallonia), architecture firm STARC led the renovation of an existing house and the construction of a single-storey contemporary extension of approximately 60 m², carefully articulating two volumes of deliberately contrasting character. The main body of the house, topped by a slate hip roof and finished in light render, engages in dialogue with a flat-roofed extension whose broad glazed facade, structured by anthracite-coloured profiles, asserts a resolutely contemporary architectural language.
Rather than a rupture, this volumetric contrast is rendered coherent through a continuous natural stone rubble facing that runs along the corners of the original house and wraps the extension, weaving a material thread between old and new. This shared materiality ensures the unified reading of the ensemble while preserving the distinct identity of each volume.
The extension opens generously towards the garden, establishing a visual and physical permeability between interior and exterior. A stepped terrace in smooth concrete extends the living space towards the lawn, drawing natural light deep into the volume. The controlled overhang of the flat roof provides partial shading and imparts a strong horizontality to the composition. Landscape integration has been carefully considered: flowering borders, ornamental grasses and shrubs accompany the built base, softening the transition between mineral materials and the surrounding vegetation, in keeping with the verdant residential character of Rhisnes.
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