Architecture Wednesday: Villa Les Iris ... But First:

It looks like the really nasty stuff with stay to the south and east of Camden, but we're in for a lot of rain for the next twenty-four ...

Located next to the Parc du Cinquantenaire, near the Rue des Tongres, is the 'Villa Les Iris' built in 1898 by the architect Jules Barbier in Art Nouveau style—though the façade on the street side was modified in 1924 in an Art Deco style—and classified in its entirety since 2018.

The villa is roughly 7,000 square feet, with the through a small garden behind a wrought iron gate. The main floor showcases a mosaic entrance hall and grand staircase along with the living room with a marble fireplace, a study, a dining room and a separate kitchen that opens onto a terrace complete.

On the first floor—what we in America would call the second floor—there are 3 bedrooms, a bathroom and a shower room. The second floor offers 3 additional bedrooms and 2 more bathrooms. There are also two offices that can be converted into bedrooms. The roof has been completely renovated and the front and back facades have just been cleaned. In addition there is a large cellar and a garage for two cars.

There isn't much that I don't love about this one, though an elevator might be nice, and since it's listed for sale at a bit over $2 million, and features original details including curved marble fireplaces, herringbone flooring, high ceilings, large windows, and custom molding, with six bedrooms, it could make a very nice B&B …

Dwell

Architecture: Brussels Farmhouse and Stables

I do so love a good conversion.

In Lennik, a small farming town near Brussels, Studio Farris architects recently converted an old 18th century farmhouse and its nearby stables into a single family residence, and kept the charm and rustic quality of the old buildings while creating a completely livable, modern space inside.

The architects opted for a “box-in-box” system to avoid any chemical reactions with sulfates in the ground and walls of the original farmhouse; this system also takes care of the energy-efficiency of the house.

In order for each room to have the necessary amount of natural light—something the homeowners requested—a concept that is often seen in old farms around the area was applied: old windows and doors were bricked up and then cut out in a different, more pragmatic way, making the façade a whimsical patchwork of old and new scars.

So, it takes on the look of several old buildings being lumped together into something new and more interesting, and perhaps ready to live another 300 years.

source