House EK by WE-S architecten: A Sensitive Adaptive Reuse in the Flemish Ardennes

Location: Zwalm, Belgium Architects: WE-S architecten Year Completed: 2022 Typology: Residential Architecture, Adaptive Reuse Photography: © Nicolas da Silva Lucas

In the heart of the Flemish Ardennes, House EK by WE-S architecten reimagines a former municipal school as a contemporary residential compound. Through a refined and context-aware transformation, the project honors the site's historical character while introducing a minimalist and spatially efficient living environment.

A Dual-Dwelling Transformation Rooted in Heritage

The architectural intervention involves converting the school premises into a multipurpose common space flanked by two distinct housing units. One residence is housed within the existing teacher’s house, maintaining its original structural integrity. The second, a new single-family home, is discreetly nestled at the rear of the property, adjacent to the former school playground.

This careful placement ensures privacy and spatial clarity while respecting the plot’s heritage layout and surrounding natural topography.

Brick, Glass, and Spatial Dialogue

The design hinges on a sophisticated material palette and bold spatial clarity. A transparent glass volume is seemingly “inserted” between the site's original brick garden walls, forming a subtle yet powerful juxtaposition between old and new. The architects emphasized cohesion by matching the interior walls with similar brickwork, creating continuity between existing and new constructions.

In a gesture of material and historical sensitivity, the glass structure replaces a former sanitary facility and becomes a delicate spatial divider between the garden and playground. Its transparency is strategically maximized by limiting load-bearing elements to the sidewalls, creating a sense of openness and fluidity in the core living areas.

A Thoughtful Interior Organization

At the heart of the layout, a central kitchen block serves as both the technical core and a functional partition. This volume separates the day hall from the living room, enabling distinct yet connected zones within a relatively compact footprint.