Gafpa
Extensions and renovations
2012-2023Renovations and extensions offer a unique architectural challenge: preserving the past while introducing the new. Gafpa Architects embraces this challenge with a nuanced approach, transforming existing spaces into environments that reflect both historical context and contemporary needs. Their portfolio of adaptive reuse projects across Ghent exemplifies this philosophy through thoughtful spatial interventions, light manipulation, and carefully selected materials. By prioritizing the interaction between interior and exterior spaces, Gafpa creates dynamic extensions and renovations that honor original structures while redefining their purpose. This article delves into several projects that highlight their distinctive methodology.
The G1401 project exemplifies this with its thoughtful renovation of two historic buildings in Ghent, opening up shared ground floor access while introducing a light-filled extension under a sloped roof, supported by delicate steel columns. By combining openness and tactile materials, Gafpa blends modern functionality with historical character.
Images by Gafpa©
Similarly, the G2006 transformation of a warehouse into a home and studio showcases their emphasis on adaptable spaces. Hidden behind a typical facade with a garage, this former warehouse became a flowing mix of living, working, and outdoor areas. The concrete skeleton structure defines the ground floor, while two open sections divide the main house and rear space, bringing in natural light through large sliding windows. A zenithal light in the roof, with adjustable galvanised steel grids inspired by ship covers, filters light and offers a tactile, functional charm that blends practicality with style.
In G1307, an old house extension transforms into an open, luminous living area, underpinned by a central beam that divides functional zones. The interplay of the gable roofline and a cutaway opening for daylight captures a fluid connection with its outdoor terrace. Elsewhere, projects such as G1411 and G1520 similarly explore spatial layering and transparency. For example, G1520's compact addition balances enclosed privacy with framed outdoor views, while G1411’s intervention incorporates open views of gardens into communal spaces, redefining interior limits.
G1307:
G1411:
G1520:
At last, the G2001 & G1203 projects exemplifies Gafpa's approach of embracing a building's layered past while introducing modern spatial solutions. The transformation of a former bank into a home in G2001 highlights their sensitivity to architectural history, as seen in the integration of the original concrete vault and the creation of a timber extension that echoes existing textures. Similarly, G1203 reimagines a former industrial stone-cutting factory into a family home, blending preserved concrete elements with sleek, modern wooden additions. Both projects maintain visible traces of the past, creating a dynamic narrative of continuity and change that resonates through light, structure, and materiality.
G2001:
G1203:
Type: Renovations and transformations
Office: Gafpa
Location: Ghent, Belgium
Photography: Gafpa
Published: November 2024
Category: Architecture