How can a renovation help reconnect a house with its history? Here in Sint-Martens-Latem, the language of a Modern bungalow has been relearnt and rewritten into a new narrative faithful to the past and tailored to contemporary life.
Over the past decade, Belgian houses of the 1960s have become increasingly appreciated for their functional and material qualities – often featuring geometric or sculptural shapes, open plans with expansive windows, and generous spans of natural wood and linoleum. Yet for many homes, this mid-century nostalgia has arrived too late, and they have been demolished or renovated beyond recognition.
When approached to renovate a rare bungalow from the period nestled in the woods of Sint-Martens-Latem, Decancq Vercruysse not only imagined how the house could be preserved, yet also how a new design could perhaps lean even further into its modern character. The bungalow became a reverse case study house informed by its own historical context, yet also by some of most revered examples of domestic modernism of the period such as Finnish architect Alvar Aalto’s Maison Louis Carré (1963).
When approached to renovate a rare bungalow from the period nestled in the woods of Sint-Martens-Latem, Decancq Vercruysse not only imagined how the house could be preserved, yet also how a new design could perhaps lean even further into its modern character. The bungalow became a reverse case study house informed by its own historical context, yet also by some of most revered examples of domestic modernism of the period such as Finnish architect Alvar Aalto’s Maison Louis Carré (1963).
The bungalow had many original merits, yet the main challenge was understanding how subtle yet authentic enhancements could transform it. “When beginning a house renovation, it’s important to consider which elements to keep, and which to let go of,” says Emiel Vercruysse. “We not only consider aesthetics, but quality too. We don’t preserve architecture for the sake of it. We approach an existing house like a drawing board open to questioning and editing, where elements of new and old co-exist.”
A few simple shifts to the exterior improved its geometry and rhythm in the landscape. The front door was repositioned to the opposite side of the house, creating a newly private back garden, and a newly picturesque entry beneath a majestic old tree reached by a path of two rectangular stepping stones. To accentuate the architecture’s horizontality, a ‘hat’ was added to the chimney, and the windows divided into a typical 1960s composition.
Inside, the plan was reorganised in response to the flow of contemporary family life and expanded to include three bedrooms and a separate master suite. The kitchen, previously a separate room, was opened up to better connect it to the dining and living spaces, and a new window was added to bring in daylight and forest views.
A few simple shifts to the exterior improved its geometry and rhythm in the landscape. The front door was repositioned to the opposite side of the house, creating a newly private back garden, and a newly picturesque entry beneath a majestic old tree reached by a path of two rectangular stepping stones. To accentuate the architecture’s horizontality, a ‘hat’ was added to the chimney, and the windows divided into a typical 1960s composition.
Inside, the plan was reorganised in response to the flow of contemporary family life and expanded to include three bedrooms and a separate master suite. The kitchen, previously a separate room, was opened up to better connect it to the dining and living spaces, and a new window was added to bring in daylight and forest views.
Separate kitchens were popular in old Belgian townhouses – it was good manners to preserve a sense of decorum and ritual for the dining space. Now, we are more accustomed to open plan living, yet architect Emiel Vercruysse believes it’s still important to reflect deeply on the values and meaning of the original house. “A renovation often makes us question how architecture was designed in the past and why. Simultaneously, we question why we have changed – and, if it is necessarily for the better.”
While the kitchen, dining and living spaces are now open plan, the new fireplace and flooring combinations of square stone tile flooring and lay-in carpets create soft divisions. Countering the cool simplicity of the white-painted brick walls, volumes of Afromosia wood veneer panels and built-in storage run the length of the space. Furniture balances nostalgia and practicality with Modern pieces by Charles and Ray Eames, a Ligne Roset Togo chair, and Charlotte Perriand lamp, while one area is adaptable between a home office and children’s play area with a custom fold-out desk.
The bathrooms feature custom-designed stainless steel and wood sinks designed by Decancq Vercruysse in the spirit of the house. Small (10x10mm) tiles echo the typically smaller tile sizes of the 1960s: “Today designers often opt for larger tiles and windows, because now we have the machinery to make larger material sections, yet again, often without questioning why. We never make subconscious decisions and always search for the most beautiful option driven by the context and palette of the house,” explains Vercruysse.
While the kitchen, dining and living spaces are now open plan, the new fireplace and flooring combinations of square stone tile flooring and lay-in carpets create soft divisions. Countering the cool simplicity of the white-painted brick walls, volumes of Afromosia wood veneer panels and built-in storage run the length of the space. Furniture balances nostalgia and practicality with Modern pieces by Charles and Ray Eames, a Ligne Roset Togo chair, and Charlotte Perriand lamp, while one area is adaptable between a home office and children’s play area with a custom fold-out desk.
The bathrooms feature custom-designed stainless steel and wood sinks designed by Decancq Vercruysse in the spirit of the house. Small (10x10mm) tiles echo the typically smaller tile sizes of the 1960s: “Today designers often opt for larger tiles and windows, because now we have the machinery to make larger material sections, yet again, often without questioning why. We never make subconscious decisions and always search for the most beautiful option driven by the context and palette of the house,” explains Vercruysse.
Photograpy Eric Petschek
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