Architecture: Brussels Farmhouse and Stables

I do so love a good conversion.

In Lennik, a small farming town near Brussels, Studio Farris architects recently converted an old 18th century farmhouse and its nearby stables into a single family residence, and kept the charm and rustic quality of the old buildings while creating a completely livable, modern space inside.

The architects opted for a “box-in-box” system to avoid any chemical reactions with sulfates in the ground and walls of the original farmhouse; this system also takes care of the energy-efficiency of the house.

In order for each room to have the necessary amount of natural light—something the homeowners requested—a concept that is often seen in old farms around the area was applied: old windows and doors were bricked up and then cut out in a different, more pragmatic way, making the façade a whimsical patchwork of old and new scars.

So, it takes on the look of several old buildings being lumped together into something new and more interesting, and perhaps ready to live another 300 years.

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