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Architects: Luchtschip Architectuur
- Area: 130 m²
- Year: 2024
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Photographs:Johnny Umans
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Manufacturers: Reynaers Aluminium, Aardig Gedacht
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Lead Architects: Ruben Rottiers, Emily Pescod
Text description provided by the architects. Architects Ruben Rottiers and Emily Pescod renovated their own home in Ghent, Belgium. Aside from an authentic facade from the interwar period (1938), a good North-South orientation, and an excellent location in a quiet neighborhood just a stone's throw from the city center, there were few features in the original house worth preserving.
The original classic layout (kitchen at the back in the extension, living area at the street side) was reversed, with the kitchen and seating area swapping places. The south-facing garden became an extension of the living space. The new kitchen was placed directly under the window on the street side.
The extension was removed, and the house was expanded with a timber-framed volume, leaving the Oregon ceiling beams and facade structure exposed. The rear facade was constructed as a fully glazed wooden curtain wall. Color accents were added, including a red gypsum granulate cast floor, a blue kitchen, a yellow tiled wall, and a green joinery. Even in the painting, color was embraced, with a dark blue ceiling and yellow and green walls. The original elements of the interwar home were preserved where possible, and with a nod to that past, new features were added, such as a reinterpretation of the original ceiling moldings, the rounded arches, and the wainscoting on the walls.
Despite the limited budget, the home became an example of sustainability, mainly by investing in advanced insulation, new exterior joinery, alternative heating sources, an intensive green roof, and a very selective demolition process. Only what could no longer serve was demolished, while the existing base structure, stairs, and wooden intermediate floors were preserved as much as possible. By doing much of the work themselves, the homeowners succeeded in creating a high-quality home in a limited space. In the future, it is possible to add an extra floor to the volume (aligned with the facades of both neighbors).
