House WADD / BASIL Architecture

Architects: BASIL architecture
Area: 150 m²
Year: 2022
Photographs: Johnny Umans
Manufacturers: JUNG, Reynaers Aluminium, Davide Groppi, Oty Light, Pedrali, Valerie objects, Vola
Lead Architects: Robin Van Beveren, Lorenzo Deceuninck
Products Used in This Project: Light Switch – LS 990 by JUNG
City: Aalter
Country: Belgium

House WADD, designed by BASIL Architecture, extends a countryside home in Aalter, Flanders, as a pavilion connected to the existing house. The new light-filled volume contrasts with the dark, enclosed original spaces, which now serve secondary functions like storage, a TV corner, and a home office. Surrounded by the garden and landscape, airy canopies act as sunshades and terraces, fulfilling the client’s vision of a “holiday” atmosphere. Built on an adjacent lot, the zigzag plan accommodates a hobby room, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a drum area for the youngest son, while allowing for future separation as an independent unit. The structure combines concrete slabs, aluminum facades with perforated panels, and anodized finishes, creating a neutral, contemporary contrast to the eclectic main house. Pleated facades, canopies, and cantilevered volumes ensure shading, privacy, and seamless indoor-outdoor transitions, delivering a cohesive architectural response.

The extension of this house in the countryside of Aalter (Flanders) was designed as a pavilion, functioning as an appendix to the existing structure. The original house, characterized by its dark and enclosed rooms, was redefined to serve secondary purposes such as storage, a TV corner, and a home office. In contrast, the new extension was conceived as light-filled spaces that harmonize with the green surroundings of the garden and expansive landscape. The delicate design of the extension enhances the pavilion-like quality, with walkways divided into indoor and outdoor paths. These paths are defined by airy canopies that provide sunshading and create covered terrace areas, achieving the holiday-like ambiance envisioned by the client.

As an investment, the client, a family of five, acquired the adjacent lot with the intention of building an expansion that would address their growing need for additional space. This extension was planned to function seamlessly with the existing house but could also be separated later to serve as an independent entity. The client expressed a clear desire for a home with a strong holiday ambiance. The lack of natural light and limited views of the surrounding landscape in the existing house motivated the design of an extension that would act as an appendix to the main structure, maximizing interaction with the garden. The new volume was designed to provide a more spacious and light-filled living area, a multipurpose room for hobbies, two extra bedrooms, a bathroom, and, ideally, a dedicated space for the youngest son’s drum set.

Since this was a separate building plot, the planning regulations were relatively flexible, requiring only adherence to prescribed building depths and heights. The primary challenge was obtaining approval to construct an attached volume. The main structure is formed by a series of concrete slabs, onto which the zigzag floor plan is projected. Stability is achieved through the interplay of incisions and cantilevers, ensuring technical balance. A secondary aluminum structure, visible from the exterior and complemented by perforated panels, was used for the facade. Natural-colored anodized aluminum, applied to the facade and secondary structure, extends to the exterior joinery and interior elements, including the kitchen island. The restrained gray aluminum color palette is carried through to the concrete flooring and the textured finishes of the walls and ceiling. Warm accents are introduced with core-smoked eucalyptus-finished furniture in the sitting area and kitchen, adding contrast to the minimalist aesthetic.

The primary challenge was to design a new volumetric form that introduced a dynamic tension with the classical appearance of the existing house. This task was particularly complex given that the original house, previously renovated, is a blend of various architectural styles and formal expressions. Another challenge was identifying a neutral yet contemporary materiality for the pavilion-style extension. This led to the concept of creating the addition as a transparent pavilion, designed to establish a strong connection with the surrounding garden, functioning as an appendix to the original structure. The zigzag configuration of the floor plan acts as a subtle parody of the diverse shapes and styles present in the main house. Anodized aluminum was selected for the materiality of the extension, serving as a neutral yet modern response that harmonizes with the variety of materials in the classical house volume.

The architectural language, characterized by canopies, pleated facades, and cantilevered volumes, is designed to naturally address shading, the relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces, and privacy. This approach eliminates the need for additional external elements, resulting in a functional building envelope and volumetric design.