Stijn & Nele Hexagonal House / Atelier Vens Vanbelle

Stijn and Nele bought an old farm on a 4600 m² plot just outside Ghent. There were several buildings on the site: the farm itself, in poor condition and outdated; a stable and a field barn. In the south and west of the plot there are some houses, to the north and east there is no construction and one looks out over an open rural area consisting of meadows and fields. The existing farm was so outdated that it was almost impossible to convert it in a price-conscious way into a home that meets today's living and comfort requirements. That is why it was decided to play the card of reconstruction but with the necessary respect for the beautiful wide surroundings. A design and construction method was sought that could achieve a maximum result with limited resources. A compact volume with a minimum of circulation and use of materials. At first sight, the hexagonal plan seems stranger than it is: a hexagonal building volume is a lot more compact than a rectangular volume, and a lot less material is needed to construct the building.