Office: Atelier Vens Vanbelle | ArchDaily

Stijn & Nele Hexagonal House / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Hadir Al Koshta — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Stijn and Nele bought an old farm on a 4600 m² plot just outside Ghent. There were several buildings on the site: the farm itself, in poor condition and outdated; a stable and a field barn. In the south and west of the plot there are some houses, to the north and east there is no construction and one looks out over an open rural area consisting of meadows and fields. The existing farm was so outdated that it was almost impossible to convert it in a price-conscious way into a home that meets today's living and comfort requirements. That is why it was decided to play the card of reconstruction but with the necessary respect for the beautiful wide surroundings. A design and construction method was sought that could achieve a maximum result with limited resources. A compact volume with a minimum of circulation and use of materials. At first sight, the hexagonal plan seems stranger than it is: a hexagonal building volume is a lot more compact than a rectangular volume, and a lot less material is needed to construct the building.

Sterrenbos Youth Building / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Hadir Al Koshta — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 12:00:00 +0000

The former youth infrastructure was completely outdated and the municipal council wanted to construct a new building on the site. In addition to the youth infrastructure, there is a former football field, a tennis club and a playground here, but all these entities were isolated from each other. To eliminate the bottlenecks on the site, an alternative and clear scenario was devised for the new building, whereby the site was also designed and delimited in a fascinating and readable way.

Miel & Eline House / atelier vens vanbelle

Valeria Silva — Fri, 31 May 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Miel and Eline bought Irene's house with accompanying pub and stable. Not long before, this house was a weekly stop for a handful of farmers from a village outside Ghent. On Thursday mornings at five o'clock there was the weekly cattle market, so every Wednesday evening the cows were unloaded here and escorted to the stable behind the house. Afterward, the former resident Irene served some beers in the café on the street side, just like in about twenty other so-called slaughterhouse cafés in what was considered one of the roughest neighborhoods in Ghent thirty years ago. Today this district is a popular neighborhood with only a few vague memories of the past.

Paul and Monique House / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Paula Pintos — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 03:00:00 +0000

The children had left home for a number of years, and retirement was just around the corner, so Paul and Monique thought: “Let's build a new house, tailored to our new way of life so that we can face the future without any worries (and renovation or patchwork)...”

Brecht & Nele House / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Valeria Silva — Fri, 26 May 2023 03:00:00 +0000

A couple with three teenage children bought a foremanhouse near the former harbour of Ghent. They immediately found themselves in the decor of the Queen Astrid Park on the back of the plot, and in the house itself which was characterized by a fairly wide facade and high ceilings. The lady of the house has a passion for greenery and plants. This fact was translated into the design and the greenery forms an inseparable part of the house.

HEYDAYS Office / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Valeria Silva — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Heydays is a company that specializes in coaching in the broadest sense of the word. The company bought a plot with an old building that used to be a brothel along a busy road where many commercial companies are located. The river Leie flows at the rear of the plot, with a nature reserve on the other side. An oasis of peace. The contrast between the front and the back of the plot could hardly be greater.

Toon & Ina House / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Andreas Luco — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 11:00:00 +0000

When Toon and Ina bought a monumental building in the center of Ghent, they were faced with a complex renovation project. The assignment: to make one contemporary family home from two connected historic buildings. The volumes have been preserved almost everywhere. However, a pure restoration was not on the agenda: in 600 years the building had already been renovated so much and changed its function so much that it was impossible to turn back the clock 'authentically. The earliest sources mentioning this place date from the 14th century. The cellar with brick vaults is said to date from when a brewery was still located here. There used to be an alley next to the house that led to the second home. But the bulk of the building dates from 1640, when the port of Ghent was just behind it. Later still, there was a printing shop for playing cards and a music school on this spot.

Alex Guesthouse / atelier vens vanbelle

Paula Pintos — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 03:00:00 +0000

The owner works in the film industry and came up with a special request to design something that would make his (international) guests remember their stay for the rest of their lives. In addition, Alex also wanted space to give previews of films and other cultural exploits. An extension of his home and job in one story.

Hans & Delphine / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Karen Valenzuela — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 22:00:00 +0000

Hans and Delphine dreamed of a new kitchen, a new bathroom, and an airier and more open house. Hans wanted to read his newspaper in the sunlight, Delphine wanted a big garden. In order to comply with this wish, there was made a construction which feels like an extension of the garden.

Abdel & Marijke / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Pilar Caballero — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 10:00:00 +0000

Abdel and Marijke have just retired. They lived in a large house, built in the 1980s. Their three children had just left the house, and their house had grown too large and defects in the house were gradually emerging. Instead of patching up their home, they made a more radical but conscious choice: they decided to sell their home and look for a home tailored to their new lifestyle: compact, completely renewed and with a manageable garden.

Nico & Hilde House / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Pilar Caballero — Wed, 15 May 2019 01:00:00 +0000

After a very busy career Nico and Hilde wanted to create a haven of peace on this quietly located plot. The existing house was demolished and replaced by a completely new building.

Stijn & Annemie / atelier vens vanbelle

Rayen Sagredo — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 02:00:00 +0000

When Stijn and Annemie bought the listed school façade (anno 1908) with the vacant piece of land behind, they were already the fourth owners in a row. The other buyers hadn't found a proper solution to build a contemporary house behind this facade. What do you do with a heritage listed school façade that you have to restore in the original state with the authentic window division etc?

Kartasan House / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Rayen Sagredo — Fri, 29 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The original building consisted of two floors and an attic, plus a courtyard that is separated from the street by a garden wall. The inner structure of the house was in a poor condition and the rooms were too small, so it was decided to keep only the facade and build a complete new structure in the house.

Stephanie & Kevin / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Cristobal Rojas — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 08:00:00 +0000

The plot is situated at the end of a dead end street. Next to the plot the landscape begins to slope and you can enjoy a beautiful view. At the side and the back of the plot there is a footpath that is used sporadically by hikers. On the plot there is sun all day long. The house is built with split levels, which creates intriguing relationships between the various spaces.

W058 Bart & Sara / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Cristobal Rojas — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 13:00:00 +0000

Bart and Sara bought a north-facing plot in a typical allotment in Bredene, a town on the belgian coast side. The constuction regulations restricted the building volume, and the facade had to be white, black or gray.

Notariaat 2.0 - Continuous Landscape / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Karen Valenzuela — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 03:00:00 +0000

The original notary, which interacts with its surroundings in a very specific way, was put into use only five years ago. Thus it was a mental struggle to respond to the request for an extension. Well conceived design does not tolerate continuation or copy, so a radically different approach was needed.

Piet & Sarah - Copper Extension / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Karen Valenzuela — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 01:00:00 +0000

The property is situated at the back on the plot and originally consisted of a typical old farmhouse and an extension dating from the 90s, with a distinct architecture: a fully glazed facade, with a curved shape in plan, with a roof which consists of several parallel smaller roofs. The clash of these two building typologies is a strange thing. This house had become too small for the residents, so there was a need for an extra bedroom, bathroom and if feasible also an enclosed entrance hall.

Gewad / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Daniel Sánchez — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 00:00:00 +0000

This project brings together four new apartments which run perfectly under, over and trough eachother. The building was erected on the spot where once stood a burnt costume shop. Maarten bought the dilapidated house with his brother and parents, and began puzzling together with his business partner Dries. "There was a lot of thinking concerned. We started from zero, only preserving the rear facade. Not only an urban intervention, but thanks to the old rear facade the original dimensions of the courtyard were also retained." "Each apartment overlooks both the street, the central patio, and the courtyard, so that at any time of the day somewhere sunlight can come in."