穿过海伦特一片安静的住宅区，我们终于站在了它面前——一栋几乎以“隐迹”之态立于街旁的建筑。高耸的暗红色砖墙，仅有一扇小窗与四个混凝土通风口，它不张扬，不喧哗，甚至如屋主 William Hakelbracht 所说——“大多数路人直接经过也不

注意到”。然

而，这堵粗犷而沉默的立面，恰如一个精心设计的序曲，预示着内部即将展开的空间变奏。

After a stroll through a quiet residential neighborhood in Herent, we finally stood before it—a structure that almost exists in a state of "hidden traces" along the street. A towering dark red brick wall, with only one small window and four concrete ventilation outlets. It is unassuming, quiet, even as the owner William said—"most passersby wouldnt even notice it." Yet, this rough, silent façade acts as a carefully designed overture, foreshadowing the spatial variations about to unfold within.

屋主

William Hak

elb

racht 和

Li

ene Meneve

推开房门，内部景象豁然开朗。左手边的书房原是老房子的厨房，如今是屋主 William Hak

elbracht 和 Liene Meneve 与客户会面的空间。它宛如一个材质的微缩剧场

：暖白色的裸露砖墙

传递着直接的触感，原木家具温润自然，麻编坐垫呼应着呼吸感，透白织物窗帘后，绿意影影绰绰。混凝土天花板上清晰保留着浇筑时的木板痕迹，没有任何修饰。门窗无框，却与开口严丝合缝，是七十年代比利时精湛工艺的证明。这份材料的真诚感——不矫饰的本质袒露与精巧做工，正是 William 和 Liene 爱上这座房子的起点。

Pushing open the door, the interior scene suddenly opens up. The study on the left, originally the old houses kitchen, now serves as a meeting space for owners William and Liene with their clients. It resembles a miniature theater of materials: the warm white exposed brick walls convey a direct tactile sense, natural wood furniture feels warm and organic, hemp-woven seat cushions echo a sense of breathability, and behind the sheer fabric curtains, greenery is faintly visible. The concrete ceiling clearly retains the wood grain texture from the casting process, completely unadorned. The doors and windows are frameless, yet fit perfectly within their precise openings—a testament to the exquisite Belgian craftsmanship of the 1970s. This honesty of materials—the unadorned exposure of their essence combined with refined workmanship—was the starting point for William and Liene falling in love with this house.

William 抚过桌上摊开的设计图纸，“这些都是建筑师 Paul Meekels 的手稿。”这位安特卫普建筑师曾在比利时粗野派建筑大师 Léon Stynen 与 Paul De Meyer 的事务所工作并担任合伙人多年，其理性极简的建筑理念与对材料的诚实运用，在这栋私宅中得到了充分体现。作为一位家具设计师， William 与身为化妆师与搭配师的妻子 Liene 在买下这所房子后，每一次细微改造都试图与原始精神对话。新增的泳池扶手复刻了室内楼梯的细节，新门窗也延续着同样的设计语言，让新增的构件仿佛从一开始便生长于此。

William brushed his hand over the spread-out design drawings on the table. "These are all the original hand-drawn drafts by architect Paul Meekels." This Antwerp architect worked for many years and was a partner in the firm of Belgian Brutalist masters Léon Stynen and Paul De Meyer. His rational, minimalist architectural philosophy and honest use of materials are fully expressed in this private residence. As a furniture designer, William and his wife Liene, a makeup artist and stylist, have endeavored to engage in a dialogue with the original spirit in every subtle modification since purchasing the house. The newly added pool handrail replicates the detail of the interior staircase, and new doors and windows continue the same design language, making the additions feel as if they have grown there from the beginning.

走出书房，是更为开阔的客厅。整面的玻璃窗将花园的绿意与阳光悉数邀入，深棕色的砖砌烟囱成为空间的锚点。 William 设计的暖沙色沙发、白色布艺椅与橄榄绿茶几，与 Liene 温润的画作、他们共同创作的木质图腾装置，共同织就一幅柔软的家景。墙外泳池的水波，将流动的光影投射在天花板上，空间仿佛在静静呼吸。

Leaving the study, one enters the more expansive living room. Full-height glass windows invite the gardens greenery and sunlight into the space, while the dark brown brick chimney serves as an anchoring element. The warm sand-colored polar fleece sofa, white fabric armchair, and olive green geometric coffee table designed by William, along with Lienes gently textured paintings and their jointly created wooden totem artwork, together weave a soft domestic landscape. The rippling reflection from the pool outside casts moving patterns of light onto the concrete ceiling, making the space seem to breathe quietly.

而真正的戏剧性，在推开客厅另一侧推拉门后降临——一步踏入建筑的心脏，一个双层挑高的巨大空间。这里曾是前屋主——莱门斯音乐戏剧学院院长、一位作曲兼管风琴演奏家的演奏厅。昔日，巨大的管风琴悬挂于主墙，高挑的空间结构为音乐提供了绝妙的共鸣场。如今，这里是家的厨房与餐厅，但空间的灵魂未改。

But the true drama unfolds upon pushing open the sliding door on the other side of the living room—stepping into the heart of the building, a double-height grand space. This was once the music hall of the previous owner—the Director of the Lemmens Music and Drama College, a composer and organist. In the past, a massive organ hung on the main wall, and the lofty spatial structure provided an acoustically superb resonance chamber. Today, this is the homes kitchen and dining area, yet the soul of the space remains unchanged.

屋顶一道横向的长条天窗，是光的指挥家。季节更迭，日出日落，光以此为笔，以不同的角度、浓度与姿态倾泻而下；它也从花园的玻璃门漫反射而入，从高墙上的竖窗悄悄潜入，在暖白色的砖墙上刻画下瞬息万变的光影画卷。“阳光在每天不同的时间在墙上投射出不同角度的光影，这是我们爱上这栋房子的原因，” William 动情地说，“早晨光从左边的天窗开始，安静地移动，最后一缕夕阳会从竖向的开口照进来。住在这里，欣赏着季节的更迭，看阳光移动的过程被光影记录在白色墙面上，这让我们的生活更美好了。”

A long, horizontal skylight on the roof acts as the conductor of light. As the seasons change and the sun rises and sets, the light pours down from different angles, intensities, and qualities; it also diffuses into the room through the gardens glass doors and sneaks in through the vertical windows high on the wall, painting an ever-changing canvas of light and shadow on the warm white brick surfaces. "The sunlight projects shadows on the wall at different angles throughout the day; this is why we fell in love with this house," William said emotionally. "In the morning, the light starts from the left side of the skylight, moving quietly. The last ray of sunset enters through the vertical opening. Living here, appreciating the change of seasons, watching the process of the suns movement recorded by light and shadow on the white walls, has made our lives more beautiful."

在宏伟的演奏厅之上，二层原悬挂管风琴的位置，被改造为一个柔软的休息区。 William 设计的白色曲线沙发依墙而绕，形成一处有包裹感的下沉空间，墙上悬挂的暖白色流苏织物，宛如对过往音乐灵魂的一次温柔致敬。

Above the grand music hall, the space where the organ originally hung has been transformed into a soft seating area. The white curved sofa designed by William wraps around the wall, creating a sunken, cocoon-like space. A warm white tasseled textile art piece hanging on the wall serves as a gentle homage to the musical soul of the past.

毗邻此处的，是相对昏暗而私密的书房与电视房。它们尺度更小，光线柔和，作为开放家庭区与完全私密卧室之间的过渡，恰到好处地让人从高挑空间的激昂中舒缓下来。在这里，时间慢了下来。

Adjacent to this are the relatively dim and private study and TV room. With their smaller scale and softer light, they function as a perfect transition between the open family areas and the completely private bedrooms, allowing one to decompress from the grandeur of the double-height space. Here, time slows down.

书房墙上那扇唯一的小方窗，再次连接起内在体验与外部那个沉默的立面。电视房里，一只三条腿的小黑猫在软木茶几上悠闲休憩。“这是我们的猫，” William 的语气里满是温柔，“它只有三条腿，已经十年了。它现在很好，别担心它。”这份生命的韧性与安宁，仿佛是这所房子精神内核的缩影。

The small square window in the study wall once again connects the inner experience with the silent exterior façade. In the TV room, a three-legged black cat rests leisurely on a cork coffee table. "This is our cat," William said, his tone full of tenderness. "She only has three legs. Its been ten years now. Shes doing well, no need to worry about her." This resilience and serenity of life seem to be a microcosm of the houses spiritual core.

卧室区域被进一步压缩在坡屋顶之下，营造出极致的私密与包裹感。唯一不变的，是阳光的持续参与，与材质的统一语言。他们新增的步入式衣帽间，是对生活方式的真诚回应。没有奢华的装潢，只有原木橱柜、暖白砖墙与白色亚麻帘，所有衣物皆可悬挂，一目了然，藏于帘后简洁整洁，既服务于 Liene 搭配师的职业需求，又不脱离家应有的质朴与温馨。

The bedroom area is further compressed under the pitched roof, creating an ultimate sense of privacy and enclosure. The only constants are the persistent presence of sunlight and the unified material language. Their newly added walk-in closet is a sincere response to their lifestyle. Devoid of luxurious finishes, it features only wood cabinetry, warm white brick walls, and white linen curtains. All clothing can be hung up, kept organized and tidy behind the curtains—clear at a glance when open, neatly concealed when closed. This serves both Lienes professional needs as a stylist and maintains the homes essential warm simplicity.

而孩子们的房间，则是一个充满童真与热爱的微观世界。儿童推车、草编小屋、墙上的稚嫩画作、堆满毛绒玩具的床头、放满书本玩具的橱柜……每一处细节都在无声地诉说着：这里被鲜活、蓬勃的生命力所充盈。它不只是一个设计的容器，更是一个被深深爱着的家。

The childrens rooms, however, are microcosms filled with innocence and affection: a toy stroller, a woven play hut, childish drawings on the wall, a bedside crowded with plush toys, cabinets filled with books and toys... Every detail silently speaks of the vibrant, thriving life that fills this space. It is not merely a vessel for design but a home deeply and lovingly lived-in.

回到一楼的花园，William 正与他的狗狗玩着丢木棍的游戏。狗狗在草坪上尽情奔跑，耳朵甩向天空，快乐得像个孩子。学员们迟迟不愿离去，在空间之间流连、感叹：“家里能有这么大的空间变化真好”，“感受得到屋主对生活很有热情”，“这是一间传达生活本质的房子”。

ack in the garden on the ground floor, William is playing fetch with his dog. The dog runs freely across the lawn, ears flapping in the air, happy as a child. The visitors are reluctant to leave, lingering between the spaces, exclaiming: "Its wonderful how a home can have such great spatial variation," "You can really feel the owners passion for life," "This is a house that communicates the essence

of living."

参观结束，当我们再次回望那面质朴粗犷的暗红色砖墙时，内心已被悄然触动。在这栋 Paul Meekels 设计的宅邸里，我们看到了建筑最动人的姿态：它甘愿隐藏自己的锋芒，将精湛的设计藏匿于生活的本质之后。它不让生活顺从设计，而是让设计谦卑地服务于人。

As the visit concludes and we look back once more at that simple, rough dark red brick wall, our hearts have been quietly touched. In this residence designed by Paul Meekels, we witnessed architectures most moving stance: it willingly hides its own sharp edge, concealing refined design behind the essence of life. It does not force life to conform to design; instead, it lets design humbly serve the people.

在这里，宽阔与私密、光明与昏暗、粗犷与温馨、建筑永恒与生活日常，完美共生为一首宁静而丰沛的诗。这不仅是一栋房子，这是一个关于家、关于光、关于爱的，温柔而坚定的答案。

Here, spaciousness and intim

acy, light and shadow, roughness and warmth, architectural permanence and daily life perfectly coexist, composing a tranquil yet abundant poem. This is not just a house; it is a gentle yet firm answer about home, light, and love.