LH Residence

LH Residence is a minimalist townhouse located in Antwerp, Belgium designed by Jim Dierckx. The project confronts a challenge inherent to early 1900s urban housing: how to reconcile ornamental historical detail with the spatial needs of contemporary family life, particularly the chronic absence of natural light in narrow classical homes. The renovation strategy reveals itself most clearly in the transformation of the rear spaces.

Where fragmented rooms once divided the back of the house, Dierckx created a single continuous volume that dissolves the boundary between interior and garden. This reorganization establishes the kitchen as both a social anchor and a light well, drawing daylight deep into the plan through an opened back façade. The move reflects a broader shift in how European townhouses have been adapted over the past two decades, prioritizing open living spaces while preserving street-facing formality.

Dierckx’s approach to timelessness operates through restraint rather than stylistic neutrality. The material palette centers on Italian marble with deep red veining in the kitchen, paired with dark oak throughout the upper floors. These choices acknowledge the building’s original era without mimicking period detailing. The marble selection, despite extended lead times, demonstrates a commitment to material quality that counters the disposability often associated with contemporary renovations. The concrete floor in the kitchen received added pigment for warmth, a technical adjustment that prevents the coldness concrete can introduce in domestic spaces.

The custom bookcase in the front living room exemplifies the architect’s position on minimalism in residential settings. Rather than pursuing empty surfaces, Dierckx creates frameworks that accommodate the accumulation of daily life. The shelving becomes deliberately neutral, allowing books and objects to provide visual interest against a calm architectural backdrop. This philosophy extends to the proportional relationships throughout the house, where classical room heights and the original oak staircase establish a rhythm that newer interventions respect rather than override.

Storage integration appears consistently across the design, from generous bathroom cabinets to the compact wardrobe adjacent to the master bedroom. The walk-in closet connects to the bathroom through double doors fitted with cast-iron handles, a detail that bridges contemporary function with historical material language. These tactile moments accumulate throughout the house: the preserved mosaic tiles in the entrance hall, the bronzed brass pendant light descending from the second floor, the Louis Kalff bedside lamp from the 1950s chosen for its soft atmospheric quality.

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