A couple buys an old rowhouse with its garden adjacent to the garden of their own house. They want to remodel the house into two entities: a house and a workshop. The house is meant for his parents, who are growing in need of care and therefore want to come live closer by. The workshop is for her; she wants to be able to turn her hobby into a regular company. Both new functions are to be understood as more or less independent entities. They both need an entrance at the street side but also an entrance at the garden for an easy and fast connection with the couple’s own house.
The renovation budget was not a big one. That’s why the interventions were kept to a minimum. At the groundfloor, a small extension at the back was added; for the remaining part the renovation was kept to the altering of connections -and switching of functions- of the former ‘rooms’ of the house.
The design decision that made all pieces fall into place, consisted of the removal of the existing staircase and freeing this central place all the way up over the full height of the building to accomodate all the new stairs. At ground level, this impressive high space incorporates a hallway that makes an airy connection between front and back facade. In this way, the two entities have their entrances to the street side as well as the garden side.
The choice of colour, material and detailling is kept simple but refined and quite uniform; white laquered steel was chosen as leitmotiv when something new was added. The stairs, railings, as well as the eaves and the landings are made of this same material. The white colour and the choice of mesh steel gives the whole renovation and the interior spaces their light and airy character.
