House VMVK II, how to live in symbiosis with nature in 2025

The dmvA renovation project:
In a quiet dead-end street near Mechelen in Belgium, dmvA signs the radical transformation of a 1960s villa, creating a new relationship between architecture and the surrounding landscape. The project stems from the client's need to live in deep connection with nature, abandoning the loft-like atmosphere of their previous home.

The change: we want to live surrounded by greenery

After ten years spent in the VMVK I residence - always designed by dmvA specialized in renovation projects - the client wanted to live in a more open space integrated with the garden. The opportunity arose when a white villa from the Sixties, located right in front, was put up for sale. Despite not meeting contemporary housing standards, the building had a large tree-filled garden that immediately captivated the client. The goal of the new renovation was clear from the start: maximize the dialogue with the landscape.

Space for intimacy, the loft is no longer in fashion

The project preserves and restructures the basement and ground floor of the original building, using them as a base for the new expansion. The existing volume retains its characteristic white color, while the new architectural additions are done in black, creating a dynamic and contemporary contrast. Three are the guiding concepts: welcoming light, fully experiencing the garden, and rediscovering the essentiality of spaces. The new project also breaks away from the loft logic in favor of distinct and intimate environments, as requested by the client.

A livable spiral between privacy and openness

The intervention stands out for the insertion of an architectural spiral: a sequence of cement platforms that wraps around the building like a fluid and continuous promenade. Access is through an underground carport; from there, the house is traversed in an upward direction, passing through spaces with varying degrees of privacy, determined by the height of the levels. The roof structure uses painted wooden beams in contrast with the black roof, while the glass facade and patios with native vegetation dissolve the boundaries between interior and exterior.

Sustainability and invisible architecture

The entire project is based on three sustainable pillars: the reuse of the existing villa, the reduced ground footprint thanks to suspended elements, and the use of a dismantlable and reusable wooden construction system. The result is a quiet and permeable house that blends into the landscape, becoming almost invisible, and offers a unique experience of the surrounding green space.

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dmvA architecten

Drabstraat 10, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium