1 becomes 3

Situated in a green residential neighbourhood on the outskirts of Ghent, the project transforms a fragmented single-family house into three duplex apartments as part of a broader strategy for residential densification.

Rather than replacing the existing building, the design explores its potential through a series of precise architectural interventions. The original volume, an accumulation of extensions built over time, was treated as a solid mass to be carved, corrected and reshaped into a contemporary architectural form.

By adjusting the rooflines and wrapping both roofs and façades in a continuous skin of dark zinc, the previously fragmented structure is unified into a single, coherent volume.

A new external insulation envelope significantly improves the building's energy performance, while the dark zinc cladding allows the architecture to recede into its lush surroundings.

The result is a compact residential development that combines increased density with privacy, spatial quality and respect for the existing neighbourhood.