European Union: 10 Belgian Homes

Architect Tom Verschueren, of Mechelen, Belgium-based DMVA, used a classic Belgian material, brick, in an irreverent way in order to create maximum privacy but also maximum light for his clients. A closed street-side facade with an open backside facing the garden is totally glazed from the ground up to the saddleback roof. On the street side, the only true opening is the door; the seven tall, slim windows are screened by what Verschueren calls “knitted” bricks. Photo by Frederik Vercruysse.

The facade of a house in Belgium consists of "knitted bricks."

“In this part of Belgium, 90 percent of the houses are built with brick,” says architect Tom Verschueren. “It’s a classic material that we tried to use in House BVA in a totally different way.”