WHIM Architecture designed this striking contemporary center courtyard home plan for a 60-plus couple in Burgh-Haamstede, The Netherlands. At the rear, a 20-meter-long glass facade overlooks a treed embankment, with main living areas – the kitchen, living room and dining room – situated toward this natural green view. The rest of this ranch style house is laid out surrounding a center courtyard, ideal for outdoor living and entertaining. The courtyard house design also floods the indoors with natural light through the glass walls, resulting in naturally bright, airy interiors. The open-concept floor plan allows for unobstructed views of the outdoors from any point in the main living area, also making it more functional for a couple in their golden years. The extra-height living room follows the sloping roof lines, giving the home a cool, contemporary aesthetic while creating the illusion of more space. With views of nature as the home’s dominant feature, it was only fitting that the home be designed in such a way as to preserve it – hence many eco sustainable features like extra insulation; a sedum-covered roof; and rooftop solar panels to contribute to the home’s power consumption; a heat pump to heat floors in winter and cool them in summer; and extra heating via two fireplaces. WHIM Architecture
