How This Derelict Belgian Home Became a Stunning Industrial-Inspired Sanctuary

Industrial Meets Intimate: The Rinskopf Renovation

Local studios Atelier Avondzon and Macadam Atelier have transformed a derelict home in Ghent, Belgium, into a remarkable living space that masterfully blends industrial aesthetics with residential comfort. The project features a striking sawtooth-roofed extension clad in corrugated metal panels, creating what the architects describe as a "residential factory."

Preserving History While Embracing Industry

The architects retained the existing derelict brick structure, wrapping it externally with insulation and corrugated metal panels. Inside, the rough brickwork walls were painted white while the original timber ceilings and floors were exposed, creating a beautiful contrast between old and new.

"The guiding concept was to merge a factory-like aesthetic with the intimacy of a family dwelling," explained the design teams. "The broader urban context, characterized by shed roofs in the neighborhood and the robust materiality of the nearby train station, influenced the building's form, facade, and color palette."

The Sawtooth Roof Solution

The single-storey rear extension contains a large living, dining, and kitchen space topped by a pale blue sawtooth roof made from corrugated metal. This design wasn't just aesthetic - it served multiple functional purposes.

"We wanted to open the house to daylight and sight lines, but without resorting to a fully glazed box that would feel overexposed," the studios noted. "The shed-roof extension with its visible steel frame achieves this balance - generously admitting daylight while maintaining intimacy and enclosure."

Clever Design Connections

A triangular cut-out in the ceiling above a concrete kitchen island creates a visual connection between the extension and the first floor of the original home. This opening sets the contrasting brick, timber, and steelwork structures against one another in a dynamic dialogue.

Sliding glass doors open the living space to a rear garden, where two existing steel beams were retained, painted blue to match the sawtooth roof, and used to suspend a hammock - a perfect example of functional preservation.

The Evolution of Color

The project's color scheme went through an interesting evolution. "The first design proposed a bold red color scheme," the architects revealed. "The city, however, worried it might resemble branding for a nearby shop, and required a change."

This led to the blue-grey tones that now define the project. "Colors that soften the industrial character while rooting the house more firmly in its surroundings," they added.

The pale blue color scheme extends throughout the home, appearing in the exposed steelwork of the extension interior, kitchen and bathroom fittings, and staircase.

The Rinskopf project was recently shortlisted in the house renovation category of Dezeen Awards 2025, recognizing its innovative approach to blending industrial design with residential living.