![Atelier Vens Vanbelle build pentagonal house around an oak tree trunk](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/kartasan-atelier-vens-vanbelle-interiors_dezeen_2364_hero-1-852x479.jpg)
Atelier Vens Vanbelle builds pentagonal house around an oak tree trunk
In a "Gordon Matta-Clark-like intervention", an oak tree trunk serves as a structural support for a house with a pentagonal plan in Ghent by local architects Atelier Vens Vanbelle.
![Atelier Vens Vanbelle build pentagonal house around an oak tree trunk](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/kartasan-atelier-vens-vanbelle-interiors_dezeen_2364_col_21-852x1278.jpg)
Owned by a musician and painter, the original old cornerhouse building consisted of two floors and an attic, plus a courtyard that is separated from the street by a garden wall.
"The inner structure of the house was in a poor condition and the rooms were too small," explained Atelier Vens Vanbelle. "So it was decided to keep only the facade and build a completely new structure in the house."
![Atelier Vens Vanbelle build pentagonal house around an oak tree trunk](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/kartasan-atelier-vens-vanbelle-interiors_dezeen_2364_col_6-852x568.jpg)
Using a 12-metre-tall oak tree as a central structural column, the architects built a series of mezzanine floors that spiral around the trunk to form a pentagonal plan.
"It was a Gordon Matta-Clark-like intervention," the architects told Dezeen, referring to the American artist known for his dramatic architectural interventions.
"The tree was a logical and affordable solution, and it immediately gave the right atmosphere to the new home."
![Atelier Vens Vanbelle build pentagonal house around an oak tree trunk](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/kartasan-atelier-vens-vanbelle-interiors_dezeen_2364_col_24-852x568.jpg)
"Because the new floors were randomly positioned according to the existing windows," continued the architects, "exciting vistas and lighting conditions were created."
The open rooms connect together to form a spiral staircase that ascends through the house, room-by-room. The architects designed the layout so that the higher the room, the more intimate the function.
![Atelier Vens Vanbelle build pentagonal house around an oak tree trunk](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/kartasan-atelier-vens-vanbelle-interiors_dezeen_2364_col_12-852x1278.jpg)
For instance, the ground floor houses the owner's studio, the living spaces are on the midway floors and the bedroom and bathroom are located at the top of the house.
![Atelier Vens Vanbelle build pentagonal house around an oak tree trunk](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/kartasan-atelier-vens-vanbelle-interiors_dezeen_2364_col_15-852x852.jpg)
The building's existing facade was restored back to its original state, and the roof was replaced. In the process, the architects created a small viewing deck, overlooking the park in front of the house.
In addition, a large window was added in the first floor dining room overlooking the courtyard.
![Atelier Vens Vanbelle build pentagonal house around an oak tree trunk](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2017/10/kartasan-atelier-vens-vanbelle-interiors_dezeen_2364_col_23-852x1278.jpg)
Other homes that cleverly incorporate tree trunks include a conceptual tubular glass house by Kazakh architect Aibek Almassov, which has a mature fir tree at its centre; and a house in southeast Australia by architect Paul Morgan, which is framed by forked tree branches.
Photography is by Tim Van de Velde.