A historic manor house in the city of Ghent is ideally located on a long stretch of land between a canal and a river. The raised ground floor, with a front view on the canal, is mostly disconnected from the walled garden and river at the back of the house.
The existing L-shaped hallway and some bricked-up openings indicate a former double or shifted entrance. Together with the hallway, the staircase bisects the existing floor plan and limits continuous space to half the available area.
The commission demands extensive living quarters suggesting a broad enlargement across the width of the back facade, occupying much of the garden. At the same time the height of such an extension is limited along property borders because of 45° planning restrictions.