On a unique location in the inner city of Ghent, a single family house is constructed within the walls of an old industrial building. The former forge and carpentry became the scene for a new home. Some of the existing shed roofs are teared down, some parts remain. Similarly, part of the concrete flooring is kept and part demolished.
The house, a combined wood and steel construction with a rational structure and clear materialization, cuts the parcel in two. As a result, a south oriented beam shaped volume absorbs the confrontation between two complementary outdoor spaces: a walled garden and a workplace.
The house is designed as a transparent filter between these front and back areas: the classical principle where glazing is movable and walls are fixed is inverted. Opening a door has an immediate impact on the spatial constellation. Even the division between front and back façade becomes ambiguous.
Three containers are placed at strategic locations on the street side.For economical benefit, these compact steel prefabricated modules are used as winter entry and storage, perpendicular to the house, and as a B&B high above the entrance gate.
Location: Bomastraat 20 – 22, 9000 Gent
completion: december 2010
surface: 102 sq m (floor surface area on ground floor)
program: Rebuilding of a former forge to a single-family house with Bed & Breakfast.
