Dutch architecture firm HILBERINKBOSCH Architects recently completed a contemporary house known as Dune Villa in Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Netherlands. The clients are aware of that and asked us to design a ‘living’ house which fully adopts the qualities of the plot. They cite three icons as a reference, each with their own qualities. De scenic naturalness of F.L. Wright, the openness of Mies van der Rohe and the tactile materiality of Zumthor. With a sense of necessary modesty the architects accepted the assignment. Accents in the facades are made of vertical wooden slats of varying widths and colors, reflecting the lines of the forest.
According to the architects: “The plot exists of three areas: dense vegetation towards the street, a large open space at the front and an open pine forest at the back of the plot, which is characteristic for the area. An offshoot from the ‘Utrechtse Heuvelrug’ dune lays on the north side of the plot, which results in the six meter height difference. We strictly followed the division in three parts. The different volumes of the villa are situated on the north and east border of the open space, in and on the dune. The garage and the long garden walls enclose a cultivated courtyard, the only area on the plot where nature is directed by man.” The main areas of the residence, such as living room, kitchen, office, master bedroom, roof terrace and library, are situated on the first floor which provides the best experience with the forest. The guest rooms and the pool are situated in the dune and on the ground level of the courtyard. The pool is enclosed on three sides with large glass sliding doors ensuring an outdoor feeling in the wintertime – in warmer periods it can be transformed into an outdoor swimming pool. Finally, the concrete floors throughout the interior have different finishes, from roughly sanded to highly polished depending of the character of the space.
