Daniël: A Mid-Century Bungalow Renovation By FELT architecture & design

Daniël, A Mid-Century Bungalow is a sensitive yet confident renovation of a mid-20th-century modernist home in Ghent, Belgium, carried out by FELT architecture & design. The project carefully balances preservation and transformation, maintaining the original architectural identity while introducing a precise contemporary intervention that adapts the house to modern family life.

Reinterpreting Mid-Century Modernism for Contemporary Living

Rather than altering the bungalow’s horizontal character, the architects chose to enhance it through a single, strategic vertical addition, a slender tower clad in deep-blue ceramic tiles. This new element becomes both a spatial and symbolic anchor, reconfiguring circulation while offering a fresh architectural dialogue with the existing modernist structure.

A Vertical Solution to a Horizontal Plan

At the heart of the renovation lies the tower, which houses a new split-level staircase connecting the home’s two primary levels. This vertical insertion resolves a long-standing circulation challenge within the original plan, where offset horizontal slabs previously created spatial disjunctions.

By introducing light, height, and clarity, the tower allows these staggered floor plates to meet harmoniously. Natural daylight filters deep into the interior, transforming what was once a closed and compressed zone into a luminous, spatially rich core. The intervention demonstrates how a minimal architectural gesture can unlock new spatial relationships without overpowering the original design.

Clear Zoning and Functional Adaptation

The reorganization of levels brings a clear functional logic to the house. Upper floors are dedicated to private sleeping areas, while living spaces occupy the main horizontal planes, maintaining visual and physical connections to the surrounding garden. A semi-underground level accommodates practical functions and additional living spaces, expanding the usable area without disrupting the bungalow’s low-profile presence within the landscape.

This layered spatial strategy respects the modernist emphasis on clarity and order while responding to contemporary expectations of flexibility and comfort.

Material Continuity and Subtle Contrast

Material choices play a crucial role in bridging past and present. The windows were replaced with rust-colored aluminum frames, a deliberate reference to the original timber joinery. This warm tone complements both the deep-blue ceramic tiles of the tower and the lush greenery surrounding the house, creating a cohesive exterior palette that feels rooted in its context.

Inside, the bungalow was entirely re-dressed, drawing inspiration from the warmth, restraint, and precision of mid-century interiors. Natural wood surfaces, clean lines, and a carefully calibrated color scheme reinforce the home’s original spatial qualities, while contemporary detailing ensures a fresh, refined atmosphere.

Preserving Identity Through Contemporary Precision

Throughout the renovation, FELT architecture & design maintained a deep respect for the bungalow’s original character. The project does not imitate mid-century modernism but instead reinterprets its principles: clarity, proportion, and material honesty, through a contemporary lens.

The result is a home that feels both timeless and current. The original modernist spirit remains intact, yet the precise architectural addition enables a renewed appreciation of its ideas, proving that thoughtful renovation can strengthen, rather than dilute, architectural heritage.

All the photographs are works of Stijn Bollaert