Woning Co-Va

Project Description

The design brief requested natural warmth and pure simplicity, an eye-catching family home that blends into its environment. The architect Anja Vissers achieved this through using quartzite, padauk wood, oak and walnut as graphical elements and invisible structures.
The visual and physical connection between padauk wood and quartzite (the stone used by Pritzker Prize 2009 winner Peter Zumthor in the Therme Vals in Switzerland) on both the exterior and interior underlines the building’s natural surroundings. Each cornerstone was individually carved into an L-shape so as to avoid obvious seams or connections in the façade. Drainpipes were inset into the exterior walls in order to allow an unobstructed visual axis around the structure.
Playfulness and functionality start from the moment you step through the massive pivoting door. Bedrooms with cantilevered terraces overlook the garden, the pool house and neighbouring pastures. The quartzite continues in the library and the living room, subtly and indirectly lit, creating an effortless transition between indoors and outdoors. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide an ever-changing play of natural light.
Circulation between the areas was designed to follow the residents’ daily routines. Both the dining and living room flank the kitchen at the heart of the home. The home office and hobby room become private sanctuaries through their positioning at mid to lower level and at mezzanine levels.