Belgian Guy Documents Ugly Houses He Sees And They’re So Bad, It’s Hilarious (30 New Pics)
Interview With OwnerLongtime readers will know that for whatever reason, Belgium has a thing for particularly ugly houses. These buildings contain design choices so bizarre that they are almost a subgenre of architectural photography online. Cheap, ramshackle buildings are one thing, but here most homes contain what appear to be deliberate, albeit confusing design choices made by someone who had other options.
The “Ugly Belgian Houses” (it’s in the name) Instagram account gathers the best (or worst) examples of home and yard design from the Western European country. We also reached out to Hannes Coudenys, the man who manages the page. So upvote the most heinous offenders and comment your theories on what was going through the architect's head.
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Felix The Housecat
Ugly Belgian House On A Budget
Don't Care About Your Opinion But That Really Looks Like A Minion
We wanted to know if Hannes has encountered any buildings so boring they broke the pages motto "Better to be ugly than to be boring." He replied with the short and simple "Not yet. The Netherlands is Boring. Belgium is beautifully ugly." On a more serious note, we also wanted to know why these buildings are so unique. "Most of the time it’s the owner who wants his house to be a certain way. Newly built or renovated, they make the choices, and an architect delivers. In 2% of the cases it’s an architect who wants to experiment and make something crazy ugly. But I like the fact Belgium is a country where experimenting is possible.No experiment is ever a complete failure. It can always be used as a bad example."
The “Ugly Belgian Houses” account boasts 167 thousand followers on Instagram, another indicator of people's morbid obsession with absolutely hideous constructions. Global interest is so high that they have even published a book with a selection of the best constructions. One wonders if some orders are from Universities seeking to supplement their architecture divisions with materials on what not to do. The book is in a variety of tongues, but ultimately images are a universal language.
In some ways, the fascination with these buildings could be seen as a form of whiplash. Belgium contains many examples of beautiful architecture, ranging from the neoclassical Palace of Charles of Lorraine to the Art Nouveau former Old England department store. But these photos demonstrate the age-old truth that a country's architecture isn’t just the old buildings in its capital.
Citroen Citrout
Ugly Belgian Houses. Literally
What Kind Of Toppings Do You Want On Your House? Yes!
We asked if he had any final thoughts to leave with the readers: "Belgium must have over 3 million houses. I’ve only posted a few thousand. So I recently learned my story will never end. The project will go on forever. I’ll almost never take pictures myself anymore because I get 3 pictures a day sent in."
The page’s motto is “Better to be ugly than to be boring,” which is quite aspirational. After all, as bizarre as the houses here seem, there are tens of thousands of identical, cookie-cutter houses duller than a butter knife in every country across the globe. The fact that these are homes is special as well. An office, warehouse, or store can be soulless, but a house is a home, a place for the owner to express themselves and their personality. Most of us don't just throw down a mattress on the floor of a bare-walled square room and leave it at that. Decorations, ornaments, and some fresh paint are all common additions.
We All Live In An Orange Submarine
La Sagrada Familia By Antoni Audi
When You Lost The Assembly Instructions
Self-expression is in general a pretty strong human desire. We really want to make our mark and set ourselves apart. How we do this is deeply personal, but the drive is also informed by some cultural practices. In one study, European Americans, and by extension, Europeans, ranked self-expression as much more important than people from other areas of the world. The same study even found that when these individuals were not permitted to express themselves, they suffered from negative effects on their cognitive functioning. It's hard to be committed to something you don't feel any ownership and responsibility towards.
When You Roll Too Much During Sleep
Une Belle Maisnon
Cut My House In To Pieces This Is My Last Carport
Belgium has no shortage of artistically inclined people, as the relatively small nation has a large number of contributions to art, architecture, and culture. It has 15 properties listed in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites and is the birthplace of the inappropriately named French fries. Indeed, it’s part of their national dish, whether eaten with steak or mussels. In terms of somewhat strange design choices, sculpture fountains of little boys peeing is also a symbol for its capital of Brussels, a design choice that really isn't that far from many of the ones displayed here. It just happens to have better craftsmanship. Execution is everything.
Ugly Belgian House
I Wanted To Include A Joke About Carpentry But I Didn't Think It Wood Work
When You Ordered The Wrong Roof But You Are Too Lazy To Send It Back
They do that for taxes. If you keep x walls from the old house (rules and laws depending on the region you're in) it is considered as a renovation and not a new build. The house then stays around the same tax bracket as before. You see this mostly in rural regions, it's waaaaay more difficult to get the permit in a city.
Like in many smaller European nations, space is limited, meaning people are constantly living in proximity to others. This could enhance the desire to stand out, regardless of the aesthetic cost. Just to demonstrate, Brussels, the capital of Belgium, is 26.9 miles (43.3km) from Antwerp, the nation's largest city, and 31.7 miles (47.4km) from Ghent, the third-largest city. All these distances are as the crow flies, but it's also not a country rent by mountains or other impassable obstacles. Americans, looking at these numbers might realize that their morning commute covers a larger distance. This might help identify the sort of population density we’re talking about here.
Big Door Energy
True Story: They Had To Cage The Rocks. People Thought You Could Throw Them To The Holes. It Was 100 Points If You’d Hit The Little Window
Just needs earth in a pile up to the roof leaving that big window clear and it would look like a hobbit house.
When You Stop Talking About Your House And Make It Concrete
Indeed, it’s the 22nd most densely populated country in the world and the 6th most densely populated in Europe. The Flemish region in the north of Belgium is one of the most densely populated areas in Europe. With all those people pressed together and all that beautiful architecture, it’s no wonder that the people of Belgium have turned to buildings that would be shockingly bad any place else. If some morbid curiosity drives you to keep exploring the chaos of bad Belgian architecture, Bored Panda has got you covered, check out our previous articles here and here.
Don’t Say Cottage To Gothage
Nice Qwallity
Oh Deer
On A Side Nose, This One Is Quite Special
One Of These Is A Bloc Paté
Warpitecture
The Architect Really Stepped Up His Game
Bridge Over The River Kwhy?
This looks like a result of some stupid Belgian regulation on a provincial or communal level. I mean, it could be that they had to do this to make a 'closed' looking row of houses. Belgian Kafka at it's best.
Let’s Just Hope It Disappears When They Get A Full Line
Piece Of Cake
It's A Carportoise
Hey, Teacher, Leave This House Alone All In All, It’s Just Another Dick With A Wall
AH, somebody wouldn't sell their property, so the company built right next to them.
I Can’t See The Problem
Designed By Michelangelo
If You Understand Why Pizza Is Made Round, Packed Into A Square Box And Eaten As A Triangle, You Will Understand This House
I think the solar panels make it look like it has a fro & bushy stash.. maybe without them, it looked fine? 😶
The Architect Really Skewed Up
Maybe it's the color reflecting in the center window.. but I don't hate it 🤷♀️
Shiieet Sixteen
Holy [Poop]
The Architect Is Making Quite Some Points Here
When You Literally Run Out Of Money To Make An Extra Room
again, result of regulations stating they must build an upper floor even if there is no need to, just for the looks of it. Strongly suspect a 'top floor' open air sitting area.
Game Of Homes
Bit unfair, this one. Think I know the location and you're looking at the back of factory/warehouse silo's. Still does not make it pretty, though.
Quatro Stagioh No
Why Does It Have A Barcode? This Is Belgium, Not Scandinavia
Tell Me You Don't Want Visitors Without Telling Me You Don't Want Visitors
Not All The Ugly Belgian Houses Wear Capes
The Ugly Belgian House Colouring Book Is Almost Ready!
I Would Make A Penis Joke But It's Too Hard To Understand
Stuck In The Middle With Roof
That’s A Perfect Example Of Rocoucou
Accident Waits To Happen
Does a human live in there?! O_O -- just trying to imagine the deafening vibration as trains pass through..
King Architecture And The Knights Of The Round Carport Window
Behold The Castle Of The Parking
You Ain’t Nothing But An Ugly House Dog
Acracadabra Don't Open This Mess A Me
Now That Is A Parking Violation
Oh No The One House Didn't See The Voorrang From Rechts
David Attenborough Voice: "Rarely Seen, This Male Organ Of The Ugly Belgian Houses Is A Crucial Tool For Reproduction. We Are Lucky To Witness It."
Opposites Attract
It Has Some Kind Of Condition
The James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Never-Before-Seen Details Of An Ugly Belgian House
Is This A Knightshop?
Don’t Ride The White Horse
The First, The Last, Eternit
How?se
Finally Found A Decent Mailbox Firewall
Brick A Brac
Amenagement A Trois (Avec Un Ami)
I'm intrigued by the Noddy car at the front. It looks like you need a very large Allen key to remove the wheels
Jesus Cries(T)
Clap Along If You Feel Like A Room Without A Room
Need to say it again? regulations stipulating the tops of the houses should align, even if the person building this house did not need a second or a third floor.
Party In The Front Nothing In The Back
Boom Boom Boom Boom You're Missing A Room
For Sale. House With Outdoor Rooftop Sauna Cabin
We Got To Fight The Towers That .be
Messmerizing
Owner: I Like To Stare Through The Window Architect: Say No More
When You Download The House Plans From The Pirate Bay
50 Shits Of Grey
Welcome To The Uglybelgianhouses Sightseeing Tour
When Your Roof Has A Meeting
It Has The Perfect Balance Between 'What' And 'The F--'
Better Call Saul Because Wall Not So Goodman
Even Dall-E Couldn’t Make This Up
Google Please Deleteview
22 On A 100 You Mean?
House Arrest In Belgium
Omg Stephouse, What Are You Doing
I See A Red Roof And I Want To Paint It Black (Too)
Amenagement A Trois
How To Build An Hobbit’s House : Flemish Edition
The Grass Is Definitely Greener On The Other Side
Villatetris
Buy A House Get Half Extra!
The weird thing is, that Belgium has plenty of really beautiful buildings and cities/ villages as well. Bruges/ Brügge for example, but Brussels has magnificent spots, too. And yes, the titles in this post made my day. Thank you.
Okay I'm from Belgium and I need locations 'cus I want to see them irl 🤣 Haven't seen any of them but I have no trouble believing these are all in Belgium 'cus there are some really weird buildings here 😅
Kudos to the titles, but I want to see some pretty Belgian houses now. Most of these seem to be just people managing w/what they had, either little lots, next to industrial areas, mixed materials, etc. Basically making do w/o much $$$. Extra kudos for attaching solar panels to any surface that got sunshine pretty or not.
The weird thing is, that Belgium has plenty of really beautiful buildings and cities/ villages as well. Bruges/ Brügge for example, but Brussels has magnificent spots, too. And yes, the titles in this post made my day. Thank you.
Okay I'm from Belgium and I need locations 'cus I want to see them irl 🤣 Haven't seen any of them but I have no trouble believing these are all in Belgium 'cus there are some really weird buildings here 😅
Kudos to the titles, but I want to see some pretty Belgian houses now. Most of these seem to be just people managing w/what they had, either little lots, next to industrial areas, mixed materials, etc. Basically making do w/o much $$$. Extra kudos for attaching solar panels to any surface that got sunshine pretty or not.