KCV House

In the city centre of Mechelen, Belgium, a 18th-century home has been updated into a modern family dwelling.

‘Our brief was to create rooms that fit the urban tissue,’ says architect Basile Graux of Graux & Baeyens Architecten. ‘The house is enclosed on three sides, leaving the façade as the only possibility to overlook views of the city’s skyline.’

The façade now boasts three stacked windows that open each level to the street and river. Some of the original timber flooring from the 1700s has been left intact, including the stairs and brick walls. Meanwhile, modern updates have been added in the white plaster façade and wooden window frames, whose colours contrast one another.

Photos courtesy Luc Roymans.