Huys te Warmont

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‘restore the building to a state of completeness that may never have existed...’

Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity. To transform heritage Huys te Warmont into a historic boutique hotel, it is taken as an opportunity for both restoration and renovation. Bridging the past to the foreseeable future, this project integrates the symbiotic historical images with the installation of sustainable machines.

While its high age value and stylistic value is appreciated throughout the past transformations since 14th century, this project reconstructs the historical image which the previous architect, Salamon da Bray, intended. Even if it had never existed as such, the transformation concept is to layer those imaginary facts into the new interventions.

Retroactive manifesto from the Golden Age to Enlightenment

Undergone a series of transformation from a defensive tower in 1400 to a castle in 1600 and a house estate in 1800, its high age value and stylistic value, are significant for the current characters of Huys te Warmont. Regarding the urban scale, the axis along city centre and Huys te Warmont has been there since 1667. With high historical value, this axis of symmetry is also one of the basis of the design proposal.

Symbiotic image by selective restoration and renovation...

The historical image, which Salamon da Bray in 18th century, designed is reconstructed. Layers of those imaginary facts into the new interventions present visitors a complete story which was intended to achieve in the past, even had never existed as such.

Roof in roof thermal insulation

Concerning the sustainability, both old and new attics are covered by a double glazed glass roof for enhancement of thermal insulation. Glass roof is supported by steel truss with loads transferred to an I column. Inner roof is supported by another system of steel truss with loads transferred to the wall below. Loads of both roof is then transferred to the wooden waffle structure underneath.

Sustainability and historicity

Sustainable service system is supported by solar chimney with the glass wings at two sides for natural ventilation, while heated water is supported by the solar energy and geothermal exchange underground. Historicity is highly respected by the differentiation of materials, of which green material with substantial thermal insulation is layered on preserved stylistic elements.