AV is the renovation of a typical Belgian row house in Sint-Niklaas, marked by a series of historically grown extensions. The first intervention was therefore one of subtraction: the existing appendices were removed in order to sanitise the building and restore the clarity of the original house.

For the newly built addition, two strategies were developed around spatiality and light. The one-dimensional direction of the existing building is interrupted through the introduction of an angle, creating a more generous and multi-directional extension. Simultaneously, a patio and skylight are inserted between the old and the new volumes, bringing natural light deep into the centre of the house and the surrounding spaces.

The rear façade is composed of three pivoting doors that, when opened, establish a direct continuity between interior and exterior. This continuity is further reinforced through the use of polished concrete as a continuous floor finish for both the inside and outside spaces.