On June 6, 2024, the fifth-year Architecture and Architecture & Interior Design students from the Heilig Graf Institute in Turnhout visited the listed residence of architect Jozef Schellekens from the 1930s. They did this under the guidance of their teacher, Heleen Desmet. The tour was conducted by Rik Hendrickx, interior architect at Architects in Motion, and Jan Vanhout, curator of the Architectural Conservation Trust – ACT. Afterwards, they visited the house, studio, and sun house of architects Carli Vanhout & Paul Schellekens from the 1960s.
Discover their inspiring comments and let their story captivate you.
The photography is provided by the students.
We may have won some souls.
The students had this to say:
What stayed with me the most was the sun house and the conservatory. I found it very special how nature came inside there. I enjoyed seeing the interior design and architecture from that period in the houses.
I particularly remember the beautiful light fixtures, like in the office hallway. It motivates me to engage even more with design.
I found the concrete ceiling with the remaining wood imprint very beautiful. In general, the way the structural elements continue into the interior is truly unique.
You can feel that the style of the two houses aligns, but I was particularly fond of the second house. The entrance especially was special.
The first building was unique due to its diverse use of color, and I found the second building interesting because of how interior and exterior come together.
What I found most beautiful was the indoor garden in the second house. It gave you an outdoor feeling while being inside. I would like to apply this in my own design someday.
I found the bold colour combinations in the building very interesting, because according to the explanation, it was mainly black and white in the past. Although the colours are very striking, they somehow fit together. In the second house, the connection between interior and exterior and the concrete with wood formwork left the strongest impression on me.
I found the family’s story very interesting. That they lived with such large families in the first house is remarkable to see, especially when you look at the small bedrooms. The windows in the house created a very beautiful effect and atmosphere inside.
What I found most fascinating was how bright colours were combined with natural colours, such as on the stair railing finished in green, tiles that related to the desk. It completed and accentuated each specific space. The paintings and drawings on the wall, the stacked books, the skeleton in the living room and other unique souvenirs make the whole thing very poetic.
Below are some atmospheric images:
