The Townhouses Of Today – A Modern Interpretation Of History

To state the obvious, a townhouse is basically a house in the town but in order to understand the logic behind this very basic and obvious term we have to go back to a time where English lords had a big mansion or sometimes even a castle where they spent most of the days but every once in a while had to go to town on business.

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

They kept a separate house in town specifically for such occasions, hence the townhouse. We’ve kept the name but generalized the meaning over time, as townhouses are now single-family residences, sometimes part of a development, which share one or two walls with adjacent houses and can be found in busy urban and suburban areas where land is limited and expensive. Let’s now check out a few townhouses and see what they look like. 

Modern Houses Design Ideas

Waterkant Townhouse in South Africa – GSQUARED

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

The Waterhaknt Townhouses is located in Ciudad del Cabo, South Africa. It was designed and built by studio GSQUARED and it takes advantage of its location in the city and the conveniences that come with it but it also gives its inhabitants to experience beautiful views over the city and the mountains.

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

The street-facing side of the house is mostly solid concrete, a design decision that preserves the privacy of those inside. The few openings in the facade allow natural light and fresh air to get inside without exposing the interior. There’s also a large window which has been outfitted with a custom metal screen. The interior is minimalistic and, even though this is a house in the city, it has plenty of outdoor-oriented spaces and prevent it from feeling similar to an apartment. 

Elwood Townhouse in Australia by InForm

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

The Elwood Townhouse from Australia was designed by studio InForm and has a very modern and simplistic aesthetic. It’s one of three houses, separated from one of its neighbors by a concrete wall that goes along the entire length.

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

It has a long and linear layout and it’s organized on two floors which are connected by a timber staircase. The social areas are placed on the ground floor which has access to a courtyard and they share a minimalistic design with white walls, light timber flooring and stylish furniture in black, white and grays. The kitchen has elegant white marble accents in the form of an island with a waterfall counter. In other spaces wooden furniture and accessories add warmth to the decor and create an inviting and comfortable ambiance. 

Lawford Road Townhouse In London by OEB

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

We’re now going to London, UK where we’re checking out the Lawford Road Townhouse designed by studio OEB. It was a refurbishment project aimed to modernize a Victorian house and to give a minimalist, smart and energy-efficient interior while preserving the exterior in order for the house to blend into the vernacular.

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

In order to achieve that an insulated timber frame had to be built within the existing brick walls. Given these major changes, the architects also took this opportunity to reorganize the interior and to adjust the layout in a way that fits the modern theme of the new design better. A simplified and more open interior was created, one which takes advantage of the views and the natural while remaining private and which allows the spaces to naturally and seamlessly connect with one another. 

Victorian Townhouse Design by LLI Design

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

Here’s another beautiful refurbishment of a Victorian townhouse, this time also designed to include an extension at the back. It’s a project done by studio LLI Design in the UK. The house is three storeys high and it was in good condition for the most but definitely in need of a remodel and an update.

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

Although it had a lot of history as an old house it didn’t really have character. This renovation was aimed at resurfacing a lot of the original features of the house and highlighting some of the existing ones as well. At the same time, a more contemporary aesthetic was created throughout, particularly on the inside where more textures, materials and finishes were introduced. 

Townhouse in Pfullingen by Bamberg Architektur

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

This is a pretty typical townhouse, with a small footprint and one side that’s flush with the neighboring building while the other leaves a tiny space in between. The house was designed by studio Bamberg Architektur and is located in Pfullingen, Germany.

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

The site only measures 110 square meters which meant that the house had to be tall and narrow. It was built using prefabricated panels which made the project fast and efficient and meant minimal disturbance on the already very small site. It has four floors in total, with concrete walls and big glazed surfaces that expose each floor to the exterior and maximize the amount of natural light they get given the fact that two sides are completely closed off with no windows or openings. 

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

This townhouse from Brussels, Belgium was remodeled and transformed into two separate apartments. The conversion was done by studio Label architecture in 2013. It’s a four-storey building with a small footprint which preserved a series of interesting challenges along the way.

Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase
Conversion of a Townhouse in Brussels by Label architecture spiral staircase

One of them was the fact that separate entrances and circulation layouts had to be created for each individual apartment and that meant the actual living spaces would have to become smaller and to be reconfigured.  Also, each apartment had to have access to an outdoor area. To solve these rather pressing problems, the architects built an extension volume, one which addresses these issues without requiring other major interventions to the existing structure.