House BRUS

House BRUS 

Luchtschip Architectuur

House BRUS
© Johnny Umans

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Ruben Rottiers, Emily Pescod

MANUFACTURERS
Reynaers Aluminium, Aardig Gedacht

STRUCTURAL CONSULTANTS
Lime Engineering

GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Stijn Verstraete

PHOTOGRAPHS
Johnny Umans

AREA
130 M²

YEAR
2024

LOCATION
Ghent, Belgium

CATEGORY
Houses

House BRUS
© Johnny Umans

Text description provided by architect.

Architects Ruben Rottiers and Emily Pescod renovated their own home in Ghent, Belgium. Aside from an authentic facade from the interwar period (1938), a good North-South orientation, and an excellent location in a quiet neighborhood just a stone's throw from the city center, there were few features in the original house worth preserving.

The original classic layout (kitchen at the back in the extension, living area at the street side) was reversed, with the kitchen and seating area swapping places.

House BRUS
© Johnny Umans
House BRUS
© Johnny Umans

The south-facing garden became an extension of the living space. The new kitchen was placed directly under the window on the street side.

The extension was removed, and the house was expanded with a timber-framed volume, leaving the Oregon ceiling beams and facade structure exposed. The rear facade was constructed as a fully glazed wooden curtain wall.

House BRUS
© Johnny Umans
House BRUS
© Johnny Umans

Color accents were added, including a red gypsum granulate cast floor, a blue kitchen, a yellow tiled wall, and a green joinery. Even in the painting, color was embraced, with a dark blue ceiling and yellow and green walls.

The original elements of the interwar home were preserved where possible, and with a nod to that past, new features were added, such as a reinterpretation of the original ceiling moldings, the rounded arches, and the wainscoting on the walls.

House BRUS
© Johnny Umans
House BRUS
© Johnny Umans

Despite the limited budget, the home became an example of sustainability, mainly by investing in advanced insulation, new exterior joinery, alternative heating sources, an intensive green roof, and a very selective demolition process.

Only what could no longer serve was demolished, while the existing base structure, stairs, and wooden intermediate floors were preserved as much as possible.

By doing much of the work themselves, the homeowners succeeded in creating a high-quality home in a limited space. In the future, it is possible to add an extra floor to the volume (aligned with the facades of both neighbors).

House BRUS
© Johnny Umans
House BRUS
© Johnny Umans


House BRUS
© Johnny Umans
House BRUS
© Johnny Umans
House BRUS
© Johnny Umans
House BRUS
© Johnny Umans
House BRUS
© Johnny Umans


House BRUS
Plan - Ground Floor
House BRUS
Plan - 1st Floor


House BRUS
Back Facade
House BRUS
Front Facade
House BRUS
Section