Project Title: Herfst House Renovation
Architects: tweestroom architecten
Location: Leuven, Belgium
Year of Completion: 2024
Total Area: 61 m²
Photography: Nick Claeskens
Source: ArchDaily
- Project Overview
The Herfst House Renovation is a compact yet impactful architectural intervention, where the focus was on maximizing design quality within a limited scope. Instead of overhauling the entire house, the architects concentrated efforts on the ground floor, creating a cost-effective, sustainable, and highly functional transformation.
- Design Philosophy
Minimal Intervention, Maximum Impact: Only necessary changes were made to reduce waste and costs.
Respect for Context: The renovation maintained harmony with the surrounding neighborhood.
Creative Reuse: Materials and existing structures were carefully adapted, not discarded.
- Key Architectural Strategies
A. Ground Floor Focus
Restricting the renovation to the ground floor allowed more budget flexibility.
Freed resources enabled higher-quality finishes and detailing.
B. Façade and Outdoor Enhancements
West-facing facade and building width (6.45 m) were underutilized before.
Old terrace replaced with a new glass-and-steel extension, improving:
Garden connection
Natural lighting
Evening sun access
C. Façade Treatment
Avoided bulky insulation to maintain urban rhythm.
Introduced ETICS system with matching textures for energy efficiency.
Ground-floor window lowered to enhance street-level engagement.
- Material Palette & Detailing
Structure: Steel and concrete frame for the extension.
Glazing: Large glass facades with gray anodized aluminum frames.
Warmth: Reddish-brown wooden accents soften the industrial tone.
Interiors:
Exposed raw concrete slabs and brick walls.
Select plastering for balance.
Light gray Mortex flooring with integrated underfloor heating.
Kitchen: terrazzo countertops, reinforced glass cabinetry, rounded hardware, wood accents.
- Sustainability & Efficiency
Focus on limiting demolition and reusing structural elements.
Energy efficiency via insulation and optimized solar exposure.
Small footprint design, ensuring less material consumption.
- Unique Features
Personalized Touches: Leftover terrazzo was repurposed into:
Cat’s feeding dish
Front door handle
Demonstrates playful functionality and sustainable creativity.