Renovation and extension of a house in Ottignies

The Maison du Lac in Ottignies, in the province of Walloon Brabant, is a renovation and extension of an existing single-family home in which architecture firm STARC established a considered dialogue between a traditional pitched-roof volume and a resolutely contemporary flat-roofed addition stretching horizontally towards the garden. Rather than erasing the original character of the house, defined by its white render and dark roof tiles, the design embraces contrast while maintaining overall coherence through a shared dark tone carried across the roofline and window frames of the new volume.

Materiality is central to the composition. Sand-toned light brick clads the solid walls of the extension, creating a measured transition between the rendered finish of the main building and the surrounding vegetation. Expansive glazing, articulated by slender dark-profiled mullions, opens the low volume generously to the outside. The primary ambition of this residential extension is to dissolve the boundary between the enlarged living space and the garden, drawing in natural light across a wide arc and extending daily life towards the landscape.

A slightly raised concrete terrace provides an intermediate threshold that physically prolongs the interior without dissolving it into the garden, anchoring the project in its wooded setting in Ottignies with restraint and spatial clarity. This project reflects a contextual approach to residential architecture in Wallonia, where each architectural decision responds carefully to its site.

#architect #Ottignies #WalloonBrabant #houseextension #renovation #brick #residentialArchitecture #contemporaryArchitecture #STARC