A small residence is insertedwith originality among thehouses overlooking the Brussel-Scheldt Maritime canal that splits the smalltown of Humbeek, part of themunicipality of Grimbergen,in the province of FlemishBrabant in Belgium. Inemphasizing the relationshipwith the canal, the project of this house draws upon anoriginal spatial configurationbased on the definition of anew relationship between theinside and outside.

Koen Van Damme www.koenvandamme.be

Designed by Studio Farris,Humbeek Canal House wascreated to substitute a pre-existing building and makesthe most of the availablesurface area by respectfullyplacing itself within theprofile defined by the row ofresidential buildings facingthe canal, complying to thesurrounding gabled roofscape.But the elegant adaptation tothe urban context is enrichedby new solutions, whichextend the potential of the lotand redefine the conditions ofuse of the house.

The other houses facingthe canal do not exploit thepresence of the waterway,denying any opportunity to relate to both the publicdimension and the view ofoutdoor space. The traditionallayout of houses in fact has theliving quarters on the groundfloor, with high windowsprotected by curtains forprivacy. Studio Farris thenworked on the volume anddistribution of space, emptyingpart of the original envelope,reversing the program byplacing the living area upstairsand the sleeping areas on the ground floor, working ona careful redefinition of theboundaries between indoorsand outdoors.

Canal House Humbeek by Studio FarrisKoen Van Damme

Canal House Humbeek by Studio FarrisKoen Van Damme

Canal House Humbeek by Studio Farris© Martino Pietropoli.

Canal House Humbeek by Studio Farris© Martino Pietropoli

Canal House Humbeek by Studio Farris© Martino Pietropoli.

Canal House Humbeek by Studio Farris© Martino Pietropoli

Canal House Humbeek by Studio Farris© Martino Pietropoli

Canal House Humbeek by Studio Farris© Martino Pietropoli

Canal House Humbeek by Studio Farris© Martino Pietropoli

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If in the rear the house usesthe full height allowed, it is onthe front that the outline ofthe building is changed. Thebuilding recedes, resulting inan introverted facade that isorganized around a new openspace created by the volumesubtraction. The project byStudio Farris thus determinesan unexpected spatial layoutconsisting of an entrancecourtyard on the ground floor,which acts as a filter betweenthe street and the house,matched by a small garden atthe back of the house.

It is a sort of 'Japanesecourtyard,' says Giuseppe Farris, recalling the work ofCarlo Scarpa that he carefullyinvestigated during his studiesat IUAV university in Venice.The idea is that of a smallsecret garden, to be discoveredbeyond the gate that separatesit from the road along thecanal. In the courtyard, atree introduces a naturalfeel, a sense of warmth andproportion. The two bedroomslocated on the ground flooralso benefit from this quiet andintimate condition. One opensdirectly onto the courtyard, theother overlooks the backyard.

The courtyards also help todetermine a spatial continuitybetween the ground floor andthe upper floor, where theliving quarters are arranged.The staircase that can beaccessed from the entrancecourtyard leads to the upperfloor and unfolds adjacent tothe entrance courtyard, leadingto the discovery of the canalview. At this point, the livingroom projects and expands tothe outside through a terracethat brings air and light inside.The living area continues intoa dining room and, havingreached the rear of the house,into the kitchen overlookingthe second courtyard.

The relationship establishedbetween the interiors, thecourtyards and the outdoorspaces helps to define anideal connection between thetwo floors and to give theentire intervention a spatialcontinuity that reveals at everyturn a new relationship withthe outside.

Studio Farris Architectsrecently completed thenew Buysse & PartnersHeadquarters as a renovationof an entire floor of the BPBuilding in Antwerp, Belgium,a modernist icon designedby Leon Stynen in 1963. Thestudio is also finalizing aproject for the regenerationof an entire block in thecenter of Zottegen and a largeresidential and public programin Anderlecht.

Studio Farris Architects is an architectural firm based in Antwerp, Belgium, foundedby Italian architect Giuseppe Farris in 2008.

The studio’s mission is to uncover the inherent potential in each project byquestioning the obvious, exploring the surrounding environment and culturalheritage.

The firm’s projects have been presented in international media outlets such asArchitectural Record, AZURE, DETAIL, Domus and Wallpaper*. Studio Farris Architectswas the recipient of Architectural Record magazine’s prestigious Design VanguardAward in 2015. In 2009, the firm won the competition to renovate the atrium of theFlemish Parliament in Brussels. After completion in 2010, it was nominated for theDutch LAi Award.

Studio Farris Architects is completing a project for the regeneration of an entireblock in the center of Zottegen and is finalizing a large residential and publicprogram in Anderlecht. He recently completed the design for Buysse & Partners’ newheadquarters in Léon Stynen’s BP Building in Antwerp, an icon of Belgian modernism.