brick residence by engel architecten blends in with dutch landscape

brick residence by engel architecten blends in with dutch landscape
all images courtesy of engel architecten

the amsterdam-based studio of engel architecten has completed ‘villa kerckebosch’ in the wooded surroundings of zeist, a small town in the center of the netherlands. by carefully configuring the design and choosing the materials and colors, the firm has tried to blend in the building with its context of pine trees, american oak, beech, and heath.

the front façade

the concept of the house is strongly influenced by the character of the landscape. the soft and natural shades of the brickwork and the contrasting colors of the window frames compliment the atmosphere of both the forest with all of its different hues of brown and grey, and the moor with its pastel palette and sandy colors of the bottom. besides the materials used, the strong vertical and horizontal lines in the residence also have been taken from the aspects of the environment, which is rich with tall trunks, lined branches, and treetops.

the concept of the house is strongly influenced by the character of the landscape

during the design process, an attempt was made to leave the direct surroundings as intact as possible. as a result, the house is placed on a deck that seems to hoover above the ground, and a large part of the existing trees on the lot have been preserved. to blend in the dwelling furthermore, the remaining part of the surrounding garden will have the same style as the adjacent moor.

the house is placed on a deck that seems to hoover above the ground

from the double-height living room, the residents have beautiful views to the organic environment. through the high glass façades, the surrounding landscape becomes part of the inside space of the residence. this effect is reinforced by the finishing of the floor, which is the exactly the same on both the interior and exterior.

(left) residents have beautiful views to the organic environment
(right) through materials and colors, the surroundings become part of the interior

view of the living room 

view of the mezzanine on the first floor 

floorplans 

sections

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