Paul de Ruiter Architects designed Villa Schoorl, situated in the characteristic polders near the North Holland dunes. The fluent transition to the green polder landscape was the most essential starting point of the design. The subtly located villa is built with as many possible natural materials and sustainable techniques.
Limited visual influence
The surroundings of the villa are characterised by the original allotment types, roads and channels, mills and monumental farms including the North Holland ‘stolp’ farmhouse. There are remarkably few villas in the rural area, the original empty polder landscape still exists here. It was essential to design a villa which in its appearance and its materials is in sync with this context. The plot is therefore fluently raised, alongside a ditch on the North side, which is to be reconnected. Raising the plot ensured that the majority of the house would be below ground level, and limited the visual effect of the villa on its scenic surroundings.
Alternative incidence of light
The villa has a central patio across two building layers. The underground living spaces, including the children’s bedrooms and the hobby room, can therefore be supplied with sufficient daylight. The parental bedroom, the bathrooms and the yoga room, also underground but situated slightly differently, have daylight coming in through alternative facilities.
Transparant yet private
The living volume on the first floor hovers slightly above the ground level, and is characterised by a three-piece shed roof. The materials for this volume are glass and black vertical wooden parts between two steel strips. Vertical folding elements are situated on the west side to offer privacy as well as shading, on the south side a covered terrace is created.
Self-providing energy supply
The most southern part of the roof has a gentle slope, on which the solar panels are mounted, providing a major part of its own energy supply. In wintertime the woodstove is connected to the central heating to equally heat the villa in an efficient manner.