- Project: BTR House
- Architect: DeDal Architects
- Location: Belgium, Brussels
- Year: 2021
- Area: 210 m2
- Photography: Stijn Bollaert
In the heart of Brussels, BTR House by DeDal Architects stands as a refined response to the challenges of designing within a dense urban fabric. Situated on a street where traditional townhouses shift in alignment and depth, the residence reinvents continuity with a folded facade that compensates for these irregularities while introducing a dynamic architectural character.
A Dialogue with the Street
The design approach begins with integration. Townhouse-lined streets in Brussels often present inconsistencies, and BTR House occupies a pivotal point where cornice levels and alignments diverge. Rather than ignoring this irregularity, DeDal Architects embraced it, folding the front facade to create harmony between the two sides of the street. This bold gesture allows the new residence to feel contemporary yet contextual, anchoring itself seamlessly within the urban rhythm.
The base of the building, expressed in masonry and concrete, establishes a mineral foundation. Light tiling softens the ground level, distinguishing the street interface while ensuring durability in daily use.
Split-Level Interiors
Inside, the house abandons conventional stacked floors in favor of a sequence of half- and quarter-levels. This spatial choreography creates fluid connections between living zones while preserving privacy through gradual elevation.
The split-level design enables residents to move between spaces with ease, experiencing subtle changes in perspective and intimacy. Integrated furniture pieces play a central role, articulating transitions between zones while maximizing efficiency.
The result is a generous, open-plan interior that balances functionality with architectural drama — a hallmark of thoughtful townhouse design.
Materiality and Structure
The structural system is expressed honestly throughout the project. A wooden frame construction forms the backbone, while the facade materials echo this structural clarity.
The rear and most of the front facade are clad in Red Cedar, a natural material that evolves gracefully over time. Its tonal variations integrate with the surrounding townhouses, ensuring that BTR House ages harmoniously within its context.
Large curtain facades at the rear invite daylight deep into the home, reinforcing the openness of the interior sequence. The warmth of wood, contrasted against the solidity of the base, creates a balanced architectural expression.
A Contemporary Townhouse for Brussels
BTR House exemplifies how modern residential architecture can respond to the constraints of an urban site without losing creativity. By folding its facade to negotiate alignment differences, adopting a split-level interior strategy, and using Red Cedar cladding that celebrates the passage of time, the residence redefines the typology of the Brussels townhouse.
It is not just a house but a thoughtful dialogue between past and present, between material permanence and natural evolution.
