Located deep in the heavily wooded Belgian countryside in Kalmthout on the outskirts of Antwerp, the Beli House uses a mirrored façade to mask its footprint among the trees. Replacing an experimental 1960s house that fell foul of new planning laws, the villa brings its own updated mid-century elements to the plot, along with that cloaked exterior that lends its facade a sense of shimmering mystery, catching and reflecting the scenes of the forest. The style of the new house was a tribute to the old incumbent, with architects Studio Okami choosing the 1960s to pay homage to the grand tradition of architectural experimentation that occurred throughout the decade on the green belt of countryside surrounding Antwerp. Concrete and glass cover the ground floor, with angular grey pillars dividing floor-to-ceiling walls of glass that run the width of the home. Where the concrete of the lower ground juts out over multi-levels and adds a weightiness to the home, the mirrored volume that sits on the upper level seems to float above the rest of the home as if it isn’t really there, a sort of phantom limb that reminds you of its presence whenever it catches the light.
Inside, the ground floor features an open-plan kitchen and dining space along with a main living area at one end – all clad in walnut to echo the warmth of the woods. At the other end of the space is a home office and main bedroom. Up in the disappearing mirrored volume are two children’s bedrooms and a playroom.
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Photography © Nick Klaeskens