Dhoore Vanweert’s House for a Retired Couple Brings Modernist Geometry to a Belgian Suburb

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In most countries, the idea of hiring an architect to design one’s home occurs only to design aficionados or the very wealthy. In the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, however, there is a culture of ordinary people asking design professionals to build them houses. The couple Georges and Roza of Mol, about 12 miles from the Dutch border, are one example.

On the cusp of retirement, the two decided they should live nearer the town center in single-level accommodation so that “whatever happened, we could stay in our home as long as possible.” A first step was buying a dilapidated 1960s property on exactly the right plot, with the intention of replacing it. Serendipity then found them their architect. Cycling one morning in nearby Aarschot, Georges saw a house that intrigued him; that afternoon, he and Roza knocked on the door to ask who built it and soon found themselves engaged in detailed design discussions with Jan Vanweert of Dhoore Vanweert Architecten.

As well as practical accommodation, an open layout, and lots of daylight, the couple “asked for a house that would stand out,” recalls Vanweert, who, with his partner, Wim Dhoore, has made a specialty of private residences. Located in a typical postwar suburban street—lots of brick and pitched roofs—Georges’s and Roza’s house does indeed draw attention to itself, thanks to its strict orthogonal lines and sensual surfaces: raw concrete, translucent textured glass, and mirror-polished aluminum. Moreover, it is mystifyingly mute on its street front, with no apparent door and just one window, large and circular, whose darkened glass prevents passersby from seeing in. It is only once through the main entrance, located on a side elevation, that the logic of its plan unfolds.

Mirror-polished aluminum cladding reflects surroundings. Photo © Tim Van de Velde, click to enlarge

One of Vanweert’s first choices was to place the main garden at the front of the house, rather than the back, to take advantage of the street elevation’s southwesterly orientation—this is what is concealed behind the panels of textured glass. In addition, he set himself three constraints to help generate the design: minimizing internal load-bearing walls to ensure future flexibility; fitting the entire house, including the main outdoor spaces, into an approximately 62-foot square; and dividing the interior according to a nearly 4-foot grid. The tension between the square and the grid led to all sorts of interesting manipulations, which can be observed in the facades, while the deceptively simple plan shifts and slides just as cunningly.

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The outdoor space can function as an extension of the living room and kitchen (1, 2, and top of page). Photos © Tim Van de Velde

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The entrance hall, with its built-in coat closets, guest bathroom, and passage to the rear, follows an old-fashioned formality that is very Flemish—an alternative, and much more direct, way into the house is via the giant gate in the glass screen on the street. Separating the hall from the main living area, a pivoting metal door, whose huge round window echoes that on the street front, is left open in summer and closed for warmth in winter. Three different functions flow together in the main space—a corridor leading to the stair, a kitchen/dining room, and the living room—with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass that allows it to become one with the garden. A precious source of daylight in winter, the latter, with its generous patio, becomes a much appreciated living area in summer. Meanwhile, the circular kitchen window establishes a visual connection with the outside world.

Accessed by a pivoting metal door fitted with a half-circle of glass, the couple’s bedroom and bathroom also front the main garden, while at the rear they give onto a smaller patio garden, as does the part of the main living area where Georges has his desk. The circle motif continues in the spiral stair, which descends into a generous cellar, and rises to a second level containing two guest bedrooms and a small bathroom. Added at Vanweert’s suggestion to increase the resale value, the upstairs is perfect for the couple’s two granddaughters. A final circle punctuates the summit in the form of the bathroom’s skylight.

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The kitchen and living spaces have open layouts (3 & 4). Photos © Tim Van de Velde

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Structurally, the building consists of a concrete-slab roof that is mostly supported by the in situ cast-concrete panels (standard width, 4 feet) that form its perimeter walls. Inside, there are just three instances of load-bearing masonry. Despite its cloistered nature, the house feels very spacious, thanks both to the abundant light and the diagonal vistas that open up between the interior’s parts.

The sophistication of Vanweert’s plan is paralleled by the refinement of his finishes and fittings. Calibrated to the 4-foot module, 2-foot-square bluestone slabs cover the floor and flow out into the yard, while larger panels clad the bathroom and even serve to form Georges’s desk. Concealing downpipes and load-bearing masonry, the olive-stained timber living room cabinetry finds its visual pendant in the book-matched green-quartzite kitchen island. Screening the couple’s bed from the garden, a translucent Plexiglas closet adds a subtle splash of color, thanks to Roza’s penchant for bright-hued clothing. Outside, the brushed-aluminum-clad bike shed carries the cantilevering carport roof, while the mirrored cube of the guest floor plays optical tricks straight out of Magritte.

Though Covid and the war in Ukraine stretched construction to five long years and doubled the price, Georges and Roza have absolutely no regrets. “I always wanted a glass house,” says Roza, “to see the seasons and have plentiful daylight in winter.” For Georges, “there’s such a sensation of space. We don’t need to travel as much anymore—we’re so happy at home.”

Click graphics to enlarge