Is it true you bought the parcel in spite of everyone’s advise? What’s the story behind it?

When my husband Wouter Aerts and I launched the idea to our family and friends, all thought we were crazy. For over 15 years the plot had been neglected. It was really small, in bad shape and not for sale when we first saw it. The location was formerly used as a butcher’s shop, ran by the owner’s father. After it got torn down, it was kept it out of nostalgia. By sharing our plans, I convinced them to sell.

How difficult is it, being an architect yourself, designing and building your own home?

Frankly, it took a while to come up with the final layout. When you are your own client, it is tempting to explore all possibilities. We bought the piece of land while living in a great apartment. Since we weren’t in a rush, I had enough time to experiment and simplify the design. Living and building in a dense city like Antwerp is a challenge, but I feel this home gives Wouter and I, my two children Julian and Raphaëlle enough room to breathe and to live.

What lessons have you learned from this intense and personal project?

A purified and clear plan makes the design stronger. In the six years we have lived here as a family, I have never told myself I could have done something differently. Neither has my husband, who made the windows and did most of the construction work. The key element of architecture is to compromise. The more constraints, the more compromise you have to make. But, I believe that, when that happens, you have to get more creative, and you end up with something that is even better.

Does your home define your style as an architect?

I wouldn’t quite say so since every assignment has a different context and client. Admittedly, there are style elements that reoccur in my other work, like the use of space and magnitude. I love playing with volumes and see-throughs. What strikes me the most about this personal project, is that I’m often asked to create an exact duplicate. I never do it, for each project should be different. Moreover, people show interest in my usage of raw materials, such as concrete, multiplex, and brickwork. As you can see, our home doesn’t look new. The floor has cracks, most of the furniture is vintage, and the wooden panels have patina. I like it, and clients also tend to appreciate this weathered look.

The atmosphere of your home is cozy and family-orientated: two words, I wouldn’t have necessarily paired with your previous firm Poot Roegiers.

That partnership ended in 2014. When it happened, I had to start from scratch all over again. When I look at it now, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. My previous projects were based on the ratio, and lacked a bit of poetry and a feeling of homeliness.

Would you say that they missed a feminine touch?

I think so, now that I say it aloud. Although I do know male architects, who share the same homely sensibility in their designs. In my former practice, I was the only woman most of the times. After a while, I lost balance and felt overruled.

Is this feeling of being overmastered comparable to the imbalance women feel when they set foot on an all-male construction site?

You might be right. But the more you know as an architect, the more secure and professional you become. It’s a given that female architects have to fight twice as hard, but you don’t have to wait around until men take you seriously. Like in many other professions, women have to take matters into their own hands and act accordingly.

Looking back on architectural history, you don’t see many female architects. Have times changed?

Yes, according to statistics at universities. When I studied architecture in the early year 2000 at the Henry Van de Velde Institute in Antwerp, the majority of students were female. After graduation though, it was normal – especially for young women who aspire to have both a family and a career – to be either working for a big firm or for the government. Not many of them chose to set up their own practice like I did with Poot Architectuur. Architecture remains a hard profession for women to crack.

So for you, it was a bold move to against the stream and choose your own path. Is architecture, in general, a tough business?

It sure is and for many reasons. The job is extremely stressful since you have to handle different clients and ever-changing regulations. People often tend to underestimate the workload of a simple renovation. I, for instance, never work with one single contractor but with multiple local artisans who are the best at what they do. Although it makes my job more difficult and intense, the result is more rewarding. And I don’t mean that financially. Architecture compares terribly in a cost-benefit analysis with other professions. The job asks a lot of you since you are continually facing the realities of business, codes, construction, the client and the public. The truth is that I love being an architect. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing it. And I hope to continue for a long time.