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Gand. Reviving fifties on the river

On the banks of the river Leie, Ghent, Flemish studio Govaert & Vanhoutte Architects designed a single family house bringing back a luxurious and leisure Mid-Century style.

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, Residence VDB, Gent, Belgium 2016

Within a garden that resembles a golf terrain along a river in Belgium the sculptural concrete bachelor pad designed by Govaert & Vanhoutte Architects is grafted on the lifestyle of its owner, an oldtimer and Mid-Century Modern enthusiast.

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, Residence VDB, Ghent, Belgium 2016

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, Residence VDB, Ghent, Belgium 2016

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, Residence VDB, Ghent, Belgium 2016

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, Residence VDB, Ghent, Belgium 2016

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, Residence VDB, Ghent, Belgium 2016

The river Leie, that runs through the historic city Ghent is well known for its leisure boating. A bit further downstream from the city centre, many boats reduce throttle or come to a full stop to gaze upon a residence, quite different from the other houses along the river.

The view from the river shows a long floating horizontal concrete framework that defines the ground floor, which holds all day functions, the pool area, and pool house. A second smaller concrete volume contains the master bed and bathroom and two extra rooms with their own service bathroom. A private terrace on the roof, linked only to the master bedroom, has a lowered floor towards the top of the volume, creating a private outdoor space with marvellous views towards the river and the garden.

The entire ground floor area is strongly directed towards the river: most parts of the facade are completely glazed to improve visibility on the landscape. To allow more privacy, a wooden box that looks like a volume that holds the pool house, can be extended with sliding panels, to completely hide the pool area from the passing boats on the river. The front facade facing the street is partially closed by a wooden plane, holding two entrance doors and a gate for the car elevator.

On the first floor each bedroom has a private terrace, while nightly activities reside underground. Descending the stairs along the glazed front facade, the bright ground floor becomes dark like cave with wood and black Moroccan tadelakt to set the tone. The focus in the basement is the big window behind the bar, revealing the inside of the pool. The bar, a DJ booth, a glazed wine cabinet, long lounge benches, the area for exclusive cars, and a built in cigar cabinet, resemble an exclusive underground club.

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, Residence VDB, Ghent, Belgium 2016

INPLANTING

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, site plan

KELDER

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, basement

GELIJKVLOERS

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, ground floor

VERDIEPING 1

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, first floor

VERDIEPING 2

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, second floor

SNEDE FF

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, section

SNEDE DD

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, section

SNEDE BB

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, section

SNEDE AA

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, section

RECHTERAANZICHT

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, right facade elevation

ACHTERAANZICHT

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, rear facade elevation

LINKERAANZICHT

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, left facade elevation

VOORAANZICHT

Govaert-Vanhoutte Architecten, front facade elevation

Residence VDB, Sint-Martens-Latem, Ghent, Belgium
Program: single family house
Architects: Govaert & Vanhoutte Architects, Benny Govaert, Damiaan Vanhoutte
Structural engineering: COBE ingenieurs bvba
Main contractor: De Mey Eddy bvba
Basement: 402 sqm
Ground floor: 265 sqm
First floor: 142 sqm
Completion: 2016

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Gand. Reviving fifties on the river

On the banks of the river Leie, Ghent, Flemish studio Govaert & Vanhoutte Architects designed a single family house bringing back a luxurious and leisure Mid-Century style.

INPLANTING

KELDER

GELIJKVLOERS

VERDIEPING 1

VERDIEPING 2

SNEDE FF

SNEDE DD

SNEDE BB

SNEDE AA

RECHTERAANZICHT

ACHTERAANZICHT

LINKERAANZICHT

VOORAANZICHT

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