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Atelier Vens Vanbelle . photos: © Atelier Vens Vanbelle . + archdaily

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 There were several buildings on the site: the farm itself, in poor condition and outdated; a stable and a field barn.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 The existing farm was so outdated that it was almost impossible to convert it in a price-conscious way into a home that meets today’s living and comfort requirements.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. Continue reading Vens Vanbelle

ATELIER VENS VANBELLE . photos: © Tim Van de Velde

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. Continue reading VENS VANBELLE

Atelier Vens Vanbelle . photos: © Mr. Frank

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. Continue reading Vens Vanbelle

Atelier Vens Vanbelle . photos: © Tim Van de Velde

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. Continue reading Atelier Vens Vanbelle