House with 11 Views

The villa is situated in a suburban context on the edge of the Noorderplassen-West in Almere, overlooking a contemporary Dutch water and polder landscape. The panoramic view and the constant change of depth, colours and light of the sky and landscape became the main inspiration of the design. The four floors have their own character and act differently in use. The basement is like a boathouse and garage with direct access to the wooden deck and the water. The first floor contains the living spaces with an open kitchen. The second contains private bedrooms and the top floor works as a multifunctional penthouse, study and playroom.

The villa is built very economically as a simple box maximising the volume with an industrially produced steel-frame base and prefab facade system known from utilitarian applications. The shallow but tall and wide box is situated on the edge of the water maximising the views over the landscape, and presenting a strong contrast between front and back in color and openness. The windows copy the proportions of famous Dutch Landscape painting from the 17th century, creating a surrealistic experience. As a gimmick, the sunscreens are printed with enlarged versions of the original paintings.

Marc Koehler Architects