Two disused 17th-century houses on a protected brewery site in the centre of Bruges (world heritage) were rebuilt into a family home (with retail and storage space).
The different window types and added rear façade are the witness of successive conversions over time. The design starts from the changes the building has undergone and adds a new layer. Historically valuable elements (old historic doors, fireplaces, beams, stairs, windows, wardrobes) and new elements go hand in hand and remain legible. The historic wooden structure is reinforced in an invisible way with steel. Old elements that weren't in good shape are reconstructed with new materials as they did in history (wardrobe, windows, some doors,...)Where the wooden structure wasn't authentic, the space is opened up to connect the attics with the other floors of both houses.
A patio and a sloping roof between the existing gable roofs transform the attic into a fully usable space and activate the residual space between the roofs. A vide connects the different floors to each other and brings light from the patio and the trapezoidal window in the attic to the heart of the home. The elevator and the toilet are housed behind recuperated historic cabinet doors. A more industrial balcony at the rear facade is inspired by the more industrial scale of the brewery. The existing spatial format at the front remains and accommodates the more closed functions of the house. The renovation reallocates a historically valuable building and guarantees its existence for future generations.
Credits:
- Calleeuw-Blieck - contractor (roof-rough structures)
- Engineer in structure - Geert Rotsaert