- Architects: ARKS architecten
- Location: Middelkerke, Belgium
- Architect In Charge: Stijn Slabbinck
- Area: 300.0 m2
- Project Year: 2017
- Photographs: Koen Van Damme
From the architect. The old agricultural poldersite was sanitized and the existing farmhouse with salvages was rebuilt into a low-energy housing within very strict urban planning regulations.
The main volumes of storage space on the north side were refreshed and stripped of all outbuildings. In a next phase a bed and breakfast will be built on the west side of the site, within the gabarite of the old shed. Two central axes connect the various buildings and re-read legibility and structure in this site.
The typical rural appearance of the old house with storages – one building layer with saddle roof – was integrated in the new house and is enhanced by the tight design.
The red-brown tones that featured the old polder farm were revived by cladding both roof and façade with a mix of three different clay tiles (1/3 Amaranth -1/3 Rustic – 1/3 Toscana).
This upholstery, along with the white tectiva lining and the glass in the south façade, creates a tight, contemporary building which is integrated in the environment.
The plan can be classified in a simple, open way by making use of a steel portal structure over the entire length of the house. Sleeping areas, storage and sanitation are bundled. The living areas fill the open space and a corridor along the north side connects all functions on both levels.