Strekken I

The rowhouse turns out to be semi-detached: next to it, a gate embedded in the brickwork leads to a gap behind: a driveway, perhaps? The house is charmingly compact, but also too compact, and was already extended to the rear in a previous phase. Yet still, it’s too small. There’s no more space at the back, but there is some to the side. The gap between two blank side walls is now filled in: the house widens itself into a proper rowhouse.

The slender side volume slides in with millimetric precision between the two buildings. The missing puzzle piece. It’s a plug-and-play element scaled to the house, a cabinet for family life. It houses a robust playroom, ready for muddy children’s feet; an urban garage, children’s bedrooms, and a void opening toward the kitchen. It branches directly off the main house, accessible without the need for extra corridors or staircases.

When width is limited, you build as slimly as possible. A light timber frame construction brings together structure and thermal performance. The ‘cabinet’ sits just behind the little gate. It almost seems the original architect had predicted this manoeuvre decades ago: the decorative stonework and profiles of the façade just turn the corner. This new volume also plays with lines and colour. The profiled steel cladding catches the evening sun. In a small bay window, a child curls up with a book.