House for a couple of artists in Ghent, Belgium

This house in Ghent uses a 12 meter high oak as a central structural column for its pentagonal plan. The owners, a musician and a painter, acquired this old building consisting of two floors and an attic, plus a courtyard separated from the street by a wall.

The internal structure of the house was in poor condition and the rooms were too small. It was decided to keep only the facade and build a brand new structure in the house. Using a 12 meter high oak as the backbone of the home, the architects built a series of mezzanine floors that revolve around the trunk to form a pentagonal plane. It was a Gordon Matta-Clark type intervention, referring to the American artist known for his dramatic architectural interventions. The tree was a logical and affordable solution, and he immediately gave the new home the right atmosphere.

Because the new floors were placed according to the existing windows, this allowed to create different views and a changing brightness. The open rooms connect to form a spiral staircase that rises through the house, room by room. The architects designed the layout so that the higher the room, the more intimate the function. For example, the ground floor houses the owner's studio, the living areas are at height and the bedroom and bathroom are located at the top. The existing facade of the building has been restored to its original condition and the roof has been replaced. In the process, the architects created a small viewing platform, overlooking the park in front of the house. In addition, a large window was added in the first floor dining room overlooking the courtyard.