House SL
The brief was to revert and transform a detached house, located in the 20th century periphery of Ghent, that had previously been converted into two apartments, back into a singular dwelling for a young family with three children.
We consider the house as a palimpsest in which we preserved the qualities in the existing fabric, removing only the non-qualitative elements and introduced new interventions that are both contemporary and considered materialisation.
For example, by adding new interventionist in yellow glazed brick, as a new layer in the existing masonry facades.
The house has both architectural and social potential, with masses of natural light, a strong relationship to the garden and spaces large enough to host social occasions, all of which culminate to an enhanced quality of life. We understand that a family home is a dynamic space and should respond to the specific needs of the residents at any given time. This led us to create future-oriented spaces where the home is able to respond to those changing needs. The new in-situ concrete structure, made using rough-sawn timber formwork, allows for greater flexibility and relationships between spaces with view to creating a socially orientated family home that can grow as the family does.
