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Architects: RHAW architecture
- Area: 160 m²
- Year: 2022
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Photographs:Marcel van der Burg
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Lead Architect: Rolf Reichardt
The power of omission. For years Jaap and Marieke have considered the idea of building their own house. Several designs were abandoned, proved too expensive, or did not suit the conditions of the zoning plan. To get to the essence, all of the ideas and wishes were carefully sifted through. Thanks to simplification and reduction, but without abandoning essential wishes, a comprehensible house was created. The simplistic, single-story design can be read at a glance.
Two faces. Villa V has two faces. On the street side, the inconspicuous, low, and almost closed facade is paneled with rough wooden planks. At the rear, the house unfolds up with a high, glass facade with French doors towards the nature reserve neighboring the river Dommel. The tactile purity of the Katsura Imperial Villa west of Kyoto and the cinematic atmosphere of West-Coast Modernism in California served as inspiration for the design.
Self-evident zoning. Once inside, the ascending ceilings open the living spaces to the landscape beyond. Sleeping quarters are on the southeast side, and living spaces are on the northwest side. Functional spaces in the lower section form a buffer toward the street. A long, black wall of cabinets threads all the spaces together and reveals itself as a wardrobe, storage space, kitchen island with kitchen cabinets, and vinyl record cabinet.
Pure simplicity. The use of materials in the exterior and interior is pure and natural. There is no finishing, no plastering, no painting, no flooring. Just the steel framework, the wooden walls, and the concrete floor. There are no coverups. It is what it is.
