House Vilvoorde

Vilvoorde, Belgien

Architects: atelier tom vanhee

Year: 2020

A fire had heavily damaged this terraced house. The client opted for a thorough renovation, according to passive standards and by use of sustainable materials.

The ground floor is opened up and furnished as a multifunctional space. Besides being a private living area, this space could also function as a meeting spot for the neighbourhood and could host socio-cultural activities. Curtains divide the space where needed. There is an airlock at the entrance and an additional room in the front. The existing rear structure is replaced by a volume that integrates with the main volume.

The site has a significant slope; the rear garden is approximately 95cm below the level of the front yard. The level difference is integrated in the home. The ground floor is lowered 70cm at the back, thus creating a physical relation with the garden. Simultaneously the ground floor becomes more spacious. A new wooden stair with an adjacent vide brings light in the heart of house.

The front and rear façade and pitched roof are cladded in white metal sandwich panels. This creates a unity in volume and makes the house highly insulated. The design both integrates in its context and stimulates the surrounding urban fabric. The large windows at the rear and front of the ground floor are a welcoming gesture to use the multifunctional space as a meeting spot.