Architectencsk received a brief from their clients to create a home in Alkmaar, The Netherlands that worked with the surrounding natural oak forest without undermining the beauty of the surrounding landscape, and at the same time provide a luxurious setting to live in. After analyzing the site plan, the designers at Architectencsk created a floor plan based on an X formation that, on the main floor has 2 bedrooms -both with bathrooms, on the two shorter legs of the X, while the living, dining and kitchen areas are on the two longer legs. The centre of the X houses an office with bathroom on the living side and a 3rd bedroom with bathroom on the bedroom side. The lower level of the home contains a technical room, a multipurpose room, a guest suite and a garage.
The X takes on a curvaceous form that is organic in appeal while at the same time cleverly creating a slight visual wrap to the tree in front. The glass façade to the residence follows the line of the home’s hallway that uses its interior wall as a gallery space.
The gallery wall is lit by a run of pot lights and while the hall is only 48″ wide, it appears wider by the clever design of both the roof overhang and the decking. Both visually continue the line of the hall and with the boards on the decking running in the same direction as the hall flooring, the feeling is of one large open space. The exterior banding on the deck continues up the side of the building and then curves back along the roofline for an interesting frame effect. The gallery wall backs onto the central part of the X and leads to both the living and sleeping zones.
The long stretch of floor to ceiling glass offers views from the living space, the hallway and the Master Suite. There is a small bridge connecting the deck to a paved outdoor area and everywhere you look the canopy of Oak trees create a scenic cocoon.
The living area of the home is located at the very end of the X and offers a covered roof line to the paved outdoor area below which is supported by two metal posts filled with concrete. Behind the living room is the dining area and just visible is the end leg that houses the kitchen. Outside, another bridge curves over low-lying land and the landscape is covered with the autumn leaves of the deciduous trees.
The bridge that crosses over the low-lying land connects the paved outdoor area with the landscape. Just inside the covered region is a guest suite, and guests can leave their indoor location, travel across the paved zone and cross into the forest all while keeping their feet dry even during the rainy season when the area the bridge spans collects water.
The kitchen is a large space set back from the leg it resides in. This set back means the homeowners are able to have a large deck where they can relax over a morning cup of coffee or a late night snack.
The patio off of the kitchen is quite large and the cantilevered sections of it and the living space offer quite a bit of protection and privacy to the guest suite below. The X formation of this home is clearly visible from this angle.
The front of the home is treated similarly to the back. Here the deck is much narrower and the bedroom sections are not treated with walls of glass but rather vertical siding. A small bridge connects the deck to a paved area.
The bedrooms are on the far end of the home in the two remaining legs of the X formation. Because of the angles to the two wings they have complete privacy from each other even with the large amount of glass used in each. This side of the home is also where the parking area is and the cantilevered sections of the bedrooms create a covered area for the carport.
Architectencsk
