House in the Woods

SN 030 HOUSEINTHEWOODS IMAGE06 CREDIT Frank van de Salm

House in the Woods is a private home on the Dutch island of Walcheren, located in the middle of a forest that borders the sea. The house consists of four dissimilar volumes; two renovated sheds, alongside two newly built. Together they produce a fragmented and low-lying ensemble, with an open courtyard as its centre. The sleeping quarters are contained in two stories, partially sunken into the ground. With the structure situated on the treeline, the bedrooms look outward and into the forest. A separate building, located at ground level, houses the social spaces; kitchen, dining room, hearth and a games room. A series of defined view lines and openings produce a rhythm of relationships between inside and outside, with a colonnade linking the two buildings, defining the courtyard. The former sheds are carefully transformed to house a sauna and additional bedroom. With its fragmented and low lying configuration the house aims to be subservient to its extraordinary surroundings.

  • Location: Walcheren
  • Year: 2014
  • Programme: Residential
  • Status: Completed
  • Team: Bendewerk, Madeleen Dijkman