Page 54 - Between light and shade

between light and shade, TRANSPARENCy and reflection

refurbishment of countless housing blocks
constructed in Europe in the period from 1950
to 1970, in the form of strips of 12 to 15 floors
on long flat 11 m to 12 m deep rectangles with
East and West facing facades. The thermal insu-
lation and air sealing work (if not water-tightness
work!) this involves must be carried out with
minimal disturbance for the occupants.

This is why, for the building known as the
“Villas de Ganshoren”, I am proposing to retain
the existing facade in its entirety and to achieve
the aim by adding wide balconies (thereby subs-
tantially increasing the comfort of the dwellings)
and to add a second skin using clear double
glazing with opening windows, but I am failing
to convince the client [01/633, Fig. 47].

A double skin may occasionally be limited to
a simple rain shield, as used in the renovation (in
the quest for natural light) of an office building
on the junction of Avenue Marnix and Rue du
Trône in Brussels [01/489, Fig. 48]. The facade
with its spandrels and false columns gave way to
a wooden envelope over insulation with French
windows and external wooden blinds on the
balconies, protected by clear glass louvre slats.

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