House L & W / Fragmenture

Curated by María Francisca González

Architects: Fragmenture
Area: 180 m²
Year: 2017
Photographs:Dennis De Smet
Manufacturers: Grohe, Artek, Bomarbre, Cinqa, Villeroy & Boch, Zucchetti
Lead Architect: Lies Van Kerckhove

Text description provided by the architects. As part of its renovation of a terraced row house in Ghent, Belgian architects Fragmenture inserted a central triangular volume that houses the kitchen, laundry and storage spaces.

This 190-square-meter row house suffered from a lack of light and openness. An overall renovation transformed it into a pleasant and playful city residence. All original partition walls were removed in order to create a complete new organization. The bathroom is relocated to the first floor. The old outbuildings at the back of the house made way for a new compact house extension.

House L & W / Fragmenture - Windows — © Dennis De Smet

All necessary functions for the ground floor are organized in one triangle shaped piece of furniture. The central dark zones harbours storage space and laundry room. At the front of the house, also on the ground floor, the living room is separated from the open-plan kitchen and dining room by a custom-made cabinet that incorporates concealed and open storage.

The oblique line strengthens the perspective. Dome-shaped skylights provide the ground floor dining area and kitchen with zenithal light. The round shapes provide a counterweight to the sharp lines in the joinery. The use of warm coloured wood, terrazzo flooring versus clean white furniture and perforated steel creates an elegant material contrast.