In a Belgian village, an ambitious project to extend a country house was realised on a trapezoidal shaped forest plot. The project was designed by the maa_ architecture studio led by Michel Parubai. The building was constructed many years ago and needed modernising, as the existing layout did not meet the needs of a modern family.
The biggest problem was the veranda, which, instead of integrating with the house, was an isolated space with impractical proportions. The kitchen, on the other hand, was small and outdated. The architects therefore set about completely redesigning the interior and giving the whole thing a modern expression. A key element of the concept was to extend the house in place of the former veranda.
The new part of the building was designed as two perpendicular blocks arranged in an ‘L’ shape. This opens up the living room to the two elevations, offering the best views of the beautiful greenery of the garden. This arrangement also allowed for the creation of a terrace with favourable sunlight, in addition to adding depth to the block and bringing order to the interior layout. The upper part of the extension houses the living room with its great height and wide glazing. Its square plan was designed to emphasise the balance and stability of the overall composition. The protruding roof eaves shield the interior from overheating and give a feeling of cosiness.
The lower part of the new block was designed for the dining room and the new kitchen moved to the front elevation. The two rooms are connected by a 3.8-metre-long central island, which further accentuates the elongated shape of the living area. A new opening on the side of the building has also been introduced into the house to better illuminate the kitchen workspace.
The designers at maa_ architecture studio ensured that the extension of the country house did not obliterate the friendly atmosphere of its interiors. The exposed wooden beams of the ceiling retained their original character, and the new floors were made of concrete and terrazzo, giving the space even more natural expression. The whole was complemented with recycled furniture and colourful accessories. The façades of the extension are covered with a textured plaster that resembles raw concrete. This emphasises the brutalist nature of the project and brings coherence between the materials used in the interior and the overall architectural aesthetic.
Design: maa_ architecture studio / Michel Parubaj
Photography: Caroline Dethier
Also read: single-family house | Metamorphosis | Belgium | façade | whiteMAD on Instagram
