Villa Veluwezoom

At the east border of national park the ‘hoge veluwe’ lies a farm plot that has been in the family for generations. Emma designed a new, energy efficient villa, a new barn and renovated an existing bakery.

The design was inspired by the local introverted building tradition. Large, uninterrupted thatch roofs form monolithic elements in the open landscape. The thatch blanket is lifted in corners to provide light and view to the upper floor rooms. The façade openings were composed by combining internal ergonomics and surrounding landscape views.

The building is constructed of prefab woodfiber cement wall elements that provide for extreme thermal insulation, while maintaining a breathing façade. It gives the house the thermal accumulative capacities of a stone house, combined with the damp open qualities of a wooden house. The finishings are natural, breathing materials that age well: untreated wood and clay plaster.