18/04/2026
This project is a case study for a single-family home on a plot with an old garage. The site is tucked into a
street corner between row-houses and has an old 19th-century industrial brick façade. If the entire
footprint of the plot were built up, large parts of the building would receive little to no natural daylight.
One thing was certain from the beginning: we wanted to preserve the existing façades.
In essence, the project is a new-build inserted within the old garage walls. We designed a grid-based
plan with concrete columns, rotated and positioned between the existing walls so that secluded outdoor
spaces could emerge at different levels in the in-between areas. This approach also made it possible for
natural light to reach every corner of the house and for all spaces to maintain a relationship with green
outdoor areas we added.
The main ambition of the project was to explore how a home could be built within a dense urban fabric
while offering the qualities and spatial advantages of a freestanding house.
More info:
www.poesenvanhiel.com
