In the Klarendaal district of Arnhem, a small single-storey dwelling (35 m²) with a pitched roof is being sustainably renovated and enlarged. Klarendal is a neighbourhood in Arnhem, situated between the Spijkerkwartier and St. Marten districts. It is an authentic working-class area, characterised mainly by small dwellings. A distinctive feature of this house is that the façades are not perpendicular to the structural walls. As a result, the spaces are diamond-shaped and difficult to use efficiently.
Three elements are added to and within the house to transform the spaces into a rectangular, functional interior. The first is the entrance hall, which is enlarged to create a buffer, a porch, between the street and the eat-in kitchen. The second element is a storage cabinet placed between the existing and new structures, primarily to provide additional storage and to accommodate parts of the kitchen, such as a refrigerator and a washing machine. Finally, the garden room, the room of light, shifts the view toward the extremely deep garden.
The extension of the upper floor, a large dormer, allows the main bedroom to be placed at the rear, but it can also be divided into two smaller rooms, creating a total of three bedrooms.
The form of the dormer echoes the two lanterns above the garden room. These three ‘boxes’ bring in daylight through their wooden slats.
Construction will start in March 2026.
