High and dry: house on stilts stands out on the floodplain
A young Antwerp family found a creative solution to their housing woes – building a house on stilts that sits comfortably above the Zenne’s floodplain
Rooms with a view
They started looking for a plot within driving distance of Antwerp, but their limited budget meant they had to leave the beaten track and consider a more creative option.
Vaes was helped by Flanders’ town and country planning administration, which has designated several areas in the region as “sensitive to flooding”. Land prices are low in these areas and this is how the couple’s eye fell on a plot in Leest, near Mechelen – right in the middle of the floodplain of the river Zenne.
When Vaes was discussing the building plans with his architect and contractor, they told him to build his house on pile foundations. That’s not unusual in Flanders, but what was revolutionary is when Vaes – who works in product development atAntwerpUniversityand so has a good nose for creative solutions – decided to leave the poles protruding out of the ground for 2.5 metres. “You could say we live on a sort of concrete table,” he says.
Magnificent views
The building of the “table” required a thorough preliminary study, as the design had to take into account the effect of the wind blowing underneath it.
“That resulted in a complex structure with steel connecting profiles for protection,” says Vaes. “Afterwards, it became clear that we could use the sheltered area underneath as a carport and as a covered terrace.”
Because the ground floor of the house (pictured) is actually on the first floor, it feels a bit like living in an apartment – albeit a large, luxury flat with 125 square metres of living space.
Vaes: “And it’s an apartment without neighbouring flats, which is right in the middle of the peace of the Zenne valley.”
To allow this magnificent view into the living area and kitchen, they chose large windows instead of walls, and even a suspended (but windy) terrace. Together these elements almost turn the modern pile dwelling into an observation post for the surrounding natural beauty.
“We’ve lived here now for two years, and every day I’m still stunned by how clearly you can see all the birds flying by,” Vaes says.
Photo: Liesbet Goetschalckx
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