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villa L [NL]

Villa L has been constructed on the waterfront of the beautiful nature reserve The Lepelaarsplassen (Spoonbills lake) in Almere, the Netherlands,. This villa is characterised by its compact form and its sustainability.

The fine proportions are based on the Golden Section, giving the villa its harmonious look. The plastered main volume has been sliced by a wooden element???. In this middle area all service spaces are positioned therefore keeping the main spaces free for polyvalent use. With its 145 square metres and 500 cubic metres the villa is rather compact, which helped to keep the building costs low.

The villa is very sustainable. Calculations show that the energy use is 55% lower than the current Dutch regulations require (which are among the toughest regulations in Europe). To achieve this, the villa has its own heat pump installation which not only supplies the heating and the warm water, but also provides the ventilation. By integrating these installations significant savings are made. The timber frame elements, with their 35 centimetres of insulation, make it a highly insulated dwelling. The precise detailing and manufacturing keep the villa air tight, preventing warm air from leaking.

The windy location at the edge of the lake makes wind turbines profitable. A small wind turbine will be installed on the roof of the villa, where also PV panels (Photo Voltaic) are to be placed. These will provide the villa with its own electricity supply.

The sustainability of the villa is not only put into technical installations. The architectural design holds many sustainability features. For example, the living kitchen and the two children bedrooms are oriented to the South West. To prevent these rooms from overheating the bedrooms have outdoor blinds. The pentice above the kitchen window prevents the high summer sun from entering, while allowing the low winter sun to shine underneath. The villa has a flexible plan and can be expanded easily.