When Lynn first saw this ruined barn in the Belgian countryside, it wasn’t the structure itself that captured her—it was the setting. “You can see right out to the horizon, and sometimes I even spot hares,” she says. “There’s something so calming about the natural surroundings here.”

In Pepingen, Belgium, OYO Architects converted a dilapidated barn into a daring contemporary home. Landscape designer Denis Dujardin played a key role in shaping the setting. " layout="wide" credit="Karen Van der Biest" photoUserId=""/>

She had been searching for a property for months, when her cousin suggested that she check out a disused agricultural structure. The early 20th-century barn’s traditional brick facade was intact, but the empty interior was in very poor condition.

Smitten by the breathtaking view and opportunity to create a garden, she purchased the property in 2018 and, based on the recommendation of her sister, embarked on a renovation with OYO Architects, a collaborative studio with offices in Barcelona and Ghent.

Her checklist was simple: three bedrooms—one for herself, one for her daughter, and another for guests. Natural light, open space, and a connection to nature were nice-to-haves.

OYO largely fulfilled much of her wish list with a singular bold stroke—by carving a triangular slice out of the structure’s pitched roof. This gesture left the barn’s street-facing historic brick facade intact, while opening up the rear of the building to embrace an elevated terrace and a landscaped garden.

Inside, the void created a light-filled interior patio separated from the living areas by glass windows and doors. “We tried to balance the need for a homely and secure feeling inside, without losing the incredible views toward the landscape that were carefully channelled through the old and new window openings,” says Eva Delrue, the project architect at OYO.

The home’s layout presents a similar daring yet playful geometry of double-height rooms, mezzanines, and quiet little nooks. A custom-built staircase designed by Atelier Manus connects the bedrooms, kitchen, and living areas. Painted in green, it reinforces the home’s aesthetic and technical reverence to nature and the environment.

The firm prioritized thermal comfort and energy efficiency, and they also embraced circular construction practices and sustainable materials. After the old asbestos was removed and the roof was renovated, the design team installed solar panels along with a suite of sustainable building strategies and technologies. “We used ecological clay and lime plasters and clay paint for the walls,” says Lynn. “And the new structure is a timber frame filled with insulation, which is a more sustainable building method.”

Custom-made fittings and a mix of natural and industrial materials create harmony and subtle contrasts throughout the interior. “We mixed rough elements like concrete floors and steel stairs with warmer materials like tropical wood, bamboo, and even a bold pink clay plaster,” explains Lynn. “The kitchen, which was custom-made, combines afzelia wood veneer and enameled pink steel. It was a bit of a risk at first, but now it’s one of my favorite features. The same dark wood is used for the bathroom furniture and the bed structure, tying everything together.”

The home’s neutral-toned furniture is complemented by chromatic accents in green and terra-cotta, to create a soft and natural atmosphere. “I’m still bringing in more plants little by little,” says Lynn. “And I have been adding some artwork from friends and family. I enjoy how the overall atmosphere is taking shape thanks to the materials and colors.”

When visitors come calling, they enter via a garden path that winds around the home toward the new terrace that acts as an entrance hall.

The home’s unusual garden was designed by Denis Dujardin, a Belgium-based consultant and teacher of innovative landscaping practices. Working alongside OYO Architects, Dujardin integrated native vegetation within the rural setting and created a pond that collects, purifies, and infiltrates rainwater in the region’s wet climate.

“Although these ideas did not come from me, the house quickly started to feel like home,” says Lynn, who has now lived there for 12 months. Thinking back on how the structure looked like a perilous ruin held together by wooden beams, she calls her home—and its year-long transformation—“fascinating.”

Related Reading:

The Barn Is Now the Living Space at This Home in the French Pyrenees

18 Brilliant Barn Conversions That Merge Past and Present

A Renovation Turned It Into a Cottage—But It Still Looks an Old Barn

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: OYO Architects / @oyoarchitects

Builder/General Contractor: Bolster

Structural Engineer: De Roover Structureel Ontwerp

Civil Engineer: Guy Gheldhof bvba

Landscape Design: Denis Dujardin

Lighting Design: OYO Architects

Interior Design: OYO Architects

Cabinetry Design/Installation: Hint Hout en Interieur

Shell Construction: Lanneer

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She Built a Surprising Home in the Shell of an Old Belgian Barn