Disused textile factory converted into a contemporary home

Belgium-based architectural practice, Aeon Architecten, has converted a disused textile factory into a contemporary family living space. Completed in 2014, the two-bedroom apartment is located in Deinze, Belgium.

Aware of the design possibilities and interesting architectural elements of the factory a group of buyers including architect Kevin Nechelput and Aeon Architecten, came together, purchasing an old factory with the ambition of redeveloping the site into a number individual dwellings.

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From structural steel, to exposed brickwork and original décor, each dwelling contains striking reminders of the purpose and functionality of the factory’s history that the new owners were keen to preserve.

“A factory has an inextricable heritage of utility and purpose. A factory has a job to do and this something that we wanted to bring back to the building. Its role is now to be a home for many,” explains Nechelput. “We have always enjoyed the original aesthetics of the building and were keen not to create a sterile environment that hid the past of the factory. For example, the block colours painted on the walls of my own apartment are just as we found them; it was where the toilets used to be and each was painted a different colour.

“Equally as important was getting the interior flow of the space right, it had to suit the lifestyles of the people who live there. For my own apartment this meant filling the space with natural light and creating a flow throughout the space – including the shared roof terrace.

“All the furniture from the kitchen, living space and bathroom as well as master bedroom has been custom designed to create a unity through out the loft. All hallways doors are also incorporated in the furniture.

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Nechelput’s wife and civil engineer, Valerie Van Gucht added: “Our loft is completely situated on the first floor, under a flat roof. In searching for an ingenious way to access our roof terrace we came across EeStairs and because we wanted to keep our patio clear the access point to the roof had to be practical but also as small as possible. In the 1m2 staircase we found the perfect solution. The only difficulty is that the maximum elevation of the 1m2 by EeStairs is just 290cm, but we needed a stair for 380cm. So, working with EeStairs we were able to incorporate the 1m2 into our custom furniture by concealing extra steps into a drawer so when the staircase is not in use it’s completely invisible.”

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