LVDV Apartment by i.s.m.architecten // Leuven, Belgium.

Koen Pauwels and Wim Van der Vurst of Belgium architecture practice i.s.m.architecten have recently refurbished this super-cool minimalist apartment in Leuven. The primary goal of this renovation was to adapt the existing apartment to it’s new solo inhabitant. The designers have added a series of transparent partitions, maintaining a spacious and open feel, at the same time creating a layer of privacy for those occasions when guests stay over.

The existing structural wall that runs through the apartment forms the backbone of the plan. All the new partitions which have been added are deliberately made soft and translucent – glass doors, sliding panels and a pivoting cupboard, each one creating different degrees of transparency. Strategic use of colour creates an element of surprise and delight – bright yellow and mint green are revealed when a door is opened or a pivot is turned. Further to this, black is used as an accent highlighting edges of joinery and floor, wall and ceiling junctions. Love.

Koen Pauwels and Wim Van der Vurst met while working at another interior design office earlier in their career. They went on to form i.s.m.architecten in 2009. As a boutique design office, the duo pride themselves on focusing on both interiors and architecture.

[Images © i.s.m.architecten. Photography by Luis Diaz Diaz.]