OFFICE 224

The project called for a transformation of a former industrial building, which took up the entire deep and narrow plot along the Scheldt river in the centre of Ghent. The existing building is partially renovated, and has added volumes to accommodate a new housing development. A precise study of the existing building, and an attempt to open up this dense structure, resulted in a scheme of alternating built volumes and open courtyards. The complex comprises a storefront, an atelier, and a two-story apartment along the street. In the back, there is one studio apartment and two single-family houses. The existing brick perimeter wall on the site is preserved and painted white, defining the base of the entire complex, while all the volumes above this wall are plastered. Each housing unit has an access from the courtyard, and a generous exposure to it. An uninterrupted passage is meandering in-between the volumes, which have corner indentations. To maintain a close proximity of the individual houses, but also a sense of detachment and privacy, landscape played an important role. Whereas each house has its own courtyard, they all merge in a single garden that enables circulation and stretches throughout the entire plot.