Ruin Afsnee
The old stables of "Hof Ten Broecke" in Afsnee were neglected for years by the previous owner and thus fell into ruin. The roof of the stables collapsed and nature was given free rein within the walls, which meant that the enclosed yard was in danger of losing its character.
The stables are in line with the already restored L-shaped farm in which the client lives. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, they bought the neglected building with the intention of providing it with two multipurpose holiday homes, to restore the court to its former glory and to restore cohesion between the buildings.
Given the building's ruinous condition for many years, it was not the original shape of the old barn that became part of Afsnee's collective memory, but its remaining ruin.
The dilapidated condition of the old stables has been fixed and encloses a new section with a transparent ground floor and a closed floor. The new volume was not a copy of what once was, but a choice in material and form that accentuates the ruin even more and offers a background.
There is a dialogue between old and new, which allows the ruin to be a quality instead of a neglected place. Between the new volume and the existing walls, various garden rooms are created on the ground floor, each with its own atmosphere.
The layout of both floors was conceived in such a way that polyvalent use is possible. For example, the spaces can be rented out as holiday homes but also used as a meeting room, showroom and even as a (living room) concert space.
