Huik House and B&B in Antwerp by Architecten de Vylder Vinck Taillieu.

Composed like a series of Tetris blocks, this transformation of an existing residence in Antwerp by the talented De Vylder Vinck Taillieu architects squeezes a relatively big program into a tiny city site. Renovating Huik House into a single-family home as well as a bed and breakfast that we’d all love to experience, this architectural feat incorporates a series of impressive terraces and internal courtyards to create living spaces that definitely seem larger than life.

Starting with a garage/workshop on the ground floor, a shared entrance leads guests up to the first level where there are two guest bedrooms, each with their own terraced courtyard. Moving on up to the second level, the entrance to the family residence opens up into a simple kitchen, whilst another courtyard hosts an impressive garden of trees. Here the vertical movement within the building shifts to a spiral staircase with the family residence. It leads up to a double bedroom and shared bathroom on the third level and a study, music room and single bedroom on the fourth level. To top it all off, a shared living space opens out onto, yet another terrace that looks over the surrounding cityscape.

See more projects by Architecten de Vylder Vinck Taillieu on Yellowtrace here.

Yet it’s not all top notch. Whilst the spatial composition is an impressive accomplishment on a practical level, the finishes and attention to detail on this project isn’t its strong suit. The external material palette, with a metal clad box sitting above a strong red brick mass, doesn’t quite compliment each other. Coupled with details such as black painted columns and beams, white door frames wrapped by black metal shrouds, and a series of cumbersome supporting guides for the trees, the building tries to include a lot. This translates internally with expressed stud work and down-pipes, and a funky looking timber cylinder sculpture in the living area.

It seems like more is more for this project, and whilst it may work on a practical level, less may have been more on a smaller, detail-oriented scale. Crediting its approach to spatial organization, this architectural jigsaw puzzle dissolves the boundaries between outside and inside, impressively expressing a contemporary city-lifestyle.

See more projects by Architecten de Vylder Vinck Taillieu on Yellowtrace here.