Baptist

Window covers ground floor and first floor.

Project Details

• Project Name: Baptist
• Client: Baptist
• Project Type: Renovation
• Principal Designer/s: Egide Meertens
• Design Team: Egide Meertens Architect bvba
• Contractor/s: Masonry work: C&L; Roofwork: Devad; Outside cabinet work: Helven; Heating and sanitary work: Heedfeld nv; Electricity: Castro technics; Plasterwork: Jooken
• Date of commencement of project: 2003
• Date of completion of project: 2004
• Location of site: Hasselt, Belgium
• Cost of Construction/Execution: € 83,637,76

View of the kitchen.

Words from the architect

The reason for the conversion works lies mainly in the fact that, in the existing house, there is no direct contact from the indoor living space with the garden. The complete ground floor is currently taken up by storage space and the garage.

View from the kitchen to the first floor.

The starting point for the design is therefore providing as much contact as possible from the living rooms with the back garden. However, not all living spaces can be provided for on the ground floor, because the garage must stay for practical reasons. Therefore, only a large living kitchen is provided for on the ground floor, looking out onto the garden. A large empty space provides the mutual relationship between the sitting area and the open work area on the first floor with the living kitchen on the ground floor. A large glassed area is included in the back wall over both floors. Via this empty space and this glass wall, there is also a relationship between the sitting area and work area with the garden. The loft remains unchanged.

View of the garden.

View of the first floor.

View of the first floor.

View from the first floor to the dining room.

Sitting room on the first floor.

Credits

• Text, Egide Meertens (translation by 'Aalsters Vertaalbureau')
• Photographs by Philippe van Gelooven, Courtesy of Egide Meertens