villa near the heath [NL]
The blueberry farm ‘De Pollekamp’ is located on the border between two small villages. This farm oversees the heath fields of Ermelo and the Groevenbeek estate. On this fantastic location the client wanted a large villa overlooking the landscape, but the municipality demanded that he build two instead of one dwelling on the plot.
Thee living floor on ground level is tailor made to the scenery. The kitchen is situated on the cold north, overlooking the heath fields. The living room covers the entire south façade, allowing daylight and warmth to penetrate the dwelling. To prevent overheating in summer the roof is cantilevered and automatic sunscreens are installed.
By putting all the bedrooms in a sou terrain we could limit the overall height of the villa, which was one of the most important aspects for the surrounding landscape. The bedrooms remain cool in summer, it’s easier to insulate and it saves significantly on the building costs.
The basement uses the natural slope of the terrain. On the North the garden is at ground level, whilst on the South it is more than a metre lower. By creating an opening within the green slope, the south side of the basement takes in a lot of light, accommodating all bedrooms.
The facades and the roof are cladded with wooden tiles. The basement facades are finished off with large stones. These stones can be found in the ground of the plot. These local products enrich the genius loci of the house, tailor made for this plot.
location: Ermelo [NL]
design: June 2008
