De Causmaecker House, Lokeren, Belgium

The nineteenth-century, rather dark mansion with a narrow, long city garden in the center was transformed into a contemporary light-filled residence with a pharmacy. Above the renovated pharmacy and between the volumes of the main building, a patio gives a view of the tower of the 18th-century baroque church through wall-high windows, while a skylight brings daylight into the pharmacy workspace. The patio is like a heart between the various activities of the family. The extension at the back of the house is built in a light steel structure that again allows a lot of light into the house and connects to a pergola through which climbing plants reach the facade. At the back of the garden, old garages were converted into a meditation room and garden house with large windows and a second pergola. Through a wealth of rare flowers, plants and trees, one walks to the garden room which is connected to the house like an umbilical cord.
Client
De Causmaecker
Architects
Robbrecht en Daem architecten, Marie-José Van Hee architecten
Program
Private house and pharmacy
Location
Lokeren, Belgium
Date
1996–2001
Status
Completed
Team
Paul Robbrecht, Hilde Daem, Sofie Delaere, Shin Hagiwara