Located on a site that is within a newly established island in Ljburg on the outskirts of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, The Rieteiland House is a designed to take advantage of the views – especially the sunsets – by cladding the home is walls of glazings on the waterside. Most of the inner zones are double volume in height and every evening the sunsets permeate the spaces, creating stunning uninterrupted panoramic vistas. Layered into this is the fact that The Rieteiland House has been designed with sustainability at the forefront. The home has a cold and heat pump, thermal energy storage and solar collectors.
The site the home is located on is stunning and the home is designed to be a spectators grandstand to the views.
With its walls of glazings and sliding doors the home can enjoy the night skies as much as the daytime views.
Even the winterscapes offer an exciting vista.
Unlike the view side the street facade is clad in perforated horizontal aluminum panels. Windows behind the aluminum can be exposed by some of the automatically opening aluminum sheets.
The trees in front of the home create a connectivity to the park beyond and help break up the solid mass of the street side facade.
The trees also offer shade to the side yards of the home.
While the home is designed to take advantage of the views from the inside, a large outdoor terrace and 3rd storey roof deck also provides that sought after indoor / outdoor lifestyle.
The views from the roof deck are amazing.
The roof deck would be an awesome place for sleeping under the stars.
The roof deck is accessed via a steel flight of stairs that leads off of the living zone and overlooks the dining area below.
The free standing wood burning fireplace in the living room is a contemporary rectangular model in keeping with the box shape of the home itself.
Behind the living room is an office area complete with library and above the office is the location of the Master Suite.
The ensuite to the Master Suite is just behind the roof deck.
The office area behind the living room is one of the few spaces that is only one volume high.
The ceilings within the home are fitted with a series of pot lights that create the effect of stars at night – especially when the real stars can also be seen through all the glazings.
Another flight of stairs leads from the living area down to the dining room.
The dining room is a large space and as such has been outfitted with a table tht can seat 12.
The kitchen is right beside the dining room located so that both areas can take full advantage of the views.
With the open floor plan the kitchen can even enjoy views through the windows of the living room upstairs.
The kitchen features a long island with plenty of prep space and a centrally located sink. The fridge and ovens are located on the back wall below a second office area.
The office above the kitchen is similar in layout to the office behind the living room. Both are positioned next to the central core of the house.
The core is a 3-storey service tower that contains additional toilets on each floor as well as storage installation shafts and a dumbwaiter.
The flow of the library is continued below in the kitchen with similar style open shelving lining the walls below the office in a pantry area.
Hans van Heeswijk Architecten
