Hé! updates Flemish Omloop Farmhouse with glazed winter garden in Belgium

Brussels-based studio Hé! has updated a traditional Flemish farmhouse in Belgium’s Pajottenland region, inserting a glazed timber and metal volume that forms a new living space on the upper floor. The Omloop Farmhouse, purchased in the 1990s, has been reorganised to enhance its connection with nature and provide a compact layout suitable for long-term living.

The main transformation replaces part of the pitched roof with a glazed winter garden, separated from the heated areas of the house by a rammed-earth wall. This approach balances energy efficiency with panoramic views of the surrounding forest and elevated fields, creating a unique dialogue between traditional Flemish forms and contemporary interventions.

Design Concept and Transformation

According to studio co-founder Hanne Eckelmans, the project sought to minimise the heated volume of the house while maximising its visual and spatial openness to the surrounding landscape. The sloping terrain and small roof openings originally limited this connection, which the glazed extension now resolves.

At ground level, Hé! reorganised living areas around an earthen stove, replacing a conventional boiler. An oversized entrance hall was converted into a compact, double-height entry with a built-in rammed-earth bench, fostering warmth and multifunctionality.

Spatial Organisation

The home now unfolds as a sequence of interconnected spaces. A kitchen and dining area lead into a rear garden, while a ground-floor bedroom and bathroom secure long-term accessibility for the couple. Textured finishes, including clay-plastered walls, earth-toned flooring, and red-painted structural elements, unify the interiors.

A floating staircase enclosed with black steel railings leads upstairs, where a central living space is flanked by smaller bedrooms and a shared bathroom. At the far end, a large rammed-earth wall opens onto the glazed winter garden, forming the home’s most distinctive feature.

Design Element	Function	Impact
Glazed Winter Garden	Upper-floor living space	Opens views to forest and fields, maximises daylight
Rammed-earth Wall	Thermal separation	Stores heat, improves energy performance
Earthen Stove	Central heating system	Replaces boiler with sustainable heating
Clay and Concrete Finishes	Interior materiality	Adds warmth, texture, and cohesion

The Winter Garden

The timber-framed, fully glazed winter garden follows the home’s pitched roofline. Steel-framed windows and metal planters contrast with the original brick façade, while hinged openings support natural ventilation. This space functions as a seasonal living area, blurring the line between indoors and outdoors.

Sustainability and Comfort

The glazed addition was carefully oriented to face south, allowing the rammed-earth wall to absorb heat during colder months and release it into the home. Meanwhile, strategically placed openings at eye level and along the ridge enable cross-ventilation, cooling the space naturally in warmer seasons.

This approach reduces reliance on mechanical systems while maintaining comfort, showcasing Hé!’s commitment to low-energy, resilient living strategies.

Architectural Analysis

The Omloop Farmhouse renovation demonstrates how traditional Flemish typologies can adapt to contemporary needs. By carving a glazed living space into the roofline, Hé! redefined the relationship between domestic interiors and the rural setting. The project’s reliance on rammed earth as both thermal mass and spatial divider is both pragmatic and poetic.

The interplay between brick, rammed earth, glass, and metal highlights a balance between heritage and innovation. While the addition could raise questions about long-term maintenance of glazing in harsh winters, its integration is carefully controlled and intentional.

Project Significance

This project exemplifies how rural homes can be future-proofed through compact planning, natural heating and cooling strategies, and spatial fluidity. For architects, it reinforces the potential of adaptive reuse and the integration of passive design systems into residential typologies.

More broadly, the Omloop Farmhouse represents a dialogue between domestic life, cultural heritage, and environmental responsiveness, setting a precedent for similar regional projects in Belgium and beyond.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

Hé!’s intervention at Omloop Farmhouse is both subtle and transformative. The winter garden, framed by a rammed-earth wall, embodies a design approach where energy performance and quality of life converge. This balance of preservation and experimentation reaffirms architecture’s role in enabling sustainable and emotionally resonant living spaces.

Conclusion

The updated Omloop Farmhouse illustrates how rural Flemish homes can evolve to meet contemporary needs without losing their heritage character. Through reorganisation, material innovation, and the striking glazed roof addition, the project achieves an enduring balance between intimacy, sustainability, and connection to nature.

For the architectural community, it highlights the importance of rethinking domestic space not only for functionality but also for its ability to create emotional, environmental, and cultural resonance.

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