This red-brick house in Bentveld, Holland, was built in 1932. Eighty years later, the Baksvanwengerden architecture studio reworked the concept. The dark, blank facade was transformed into an open, sunlit space.

The house reads like a cabin, as the first-floor extension carries on the line of the gabled roof. As many walls and partitions as possible were removed to open up the space, and the panoramic glazing makes it feel even larger.

Modern houses with gables in our facade database.

How do you build a new commercial building while keeping the character of the old city?

This project highlights the preserved historic facade, in keeping with the style and scale of the surrounding buildings. The new structure tries to stay out of the spotlight: the architecture is functional, and the fiber-cement cladding is Swisspearl Largo in soft colors. It's deliberately understated so that the facade preserved in front of it stands out and keeps the traditional character of the street.

The Blumenthal Building office complex in São Paulo, Brazil. Architects: Kruchin Arquitetura.

A nominee in the «Office Buildings» and «Renovation» categories at ArchDaily’s 2021 Building of the Year Awards.

The reconstruction of an old brick townhouse in Vietnam. By Landmak Architecture.

The new facade is made of white concrete blocks in an openwork, lattice-like pattern. They strike a delicate balance between the total privacy of solid walls and the transparency of the panoramic glazing.

The Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen transformed into a residential neighborhood. By ADEPT architects.

Theodora House stands on the site of the original yeast warehouse and is named after the daughter of the brewery's founder. Most of the new development is given over to apartments.

Red brick was used for the mixed-use building, a nod to the industrial architecture typical of the early 20th century. To make the facade more interesting and dynamic, the architects relied on ornamentation and curved brickwork. The inner courtyard facade is white, with a trellis for climbing plants meant to cover the entire surface.

The house was bought with existing finishes that didn't suit the new owners.

The new look, with its harmonious color and textures, feels far more confident and refined.

The walls are tiled in a mixed Bavarian style with light beige joints, and the horizontal bands are finished in a fine-grain plaster. The trim is a warm shade that picks up the tones of the plaster bands, giving the house a cozy look and the feel of a home that's already lived in. The plinth is clad in graphite porcelain stoneware.

An office building in Lisbon that houses the headquarters of GS1 Portugal, a company that implements identification systems (including QR codes).

This is a reconstruction of a 1980s building — one of the first in Portugal built specifically for business use (photo below). The renovation was designed by the architecture firm PROMONTORIO.

The new building reuses the existing concrete structure, but the façade itself is a play of angled concrete slabs and glass panels. Depending on the angle you look from, you get a new look every time, and it also protects the building from overheating. A bas-relief by the street artist Vhils adds a touch of originality.

Photos by Fernando Guerra, FG+SG.