Villa Berkel in Veenendaal, Netherlands by Paul De Ruiter

The site where the Ville Berkel built on is formerly occupied by a bungalow dating from the 1970''s. Remodeling was the owner''s idea, but then followed Paul de Ruiter''s advice to demolish the bungalow and make room for a completely new design.

The woods around the villa are dark, which means it is important to ensure that as much light can enter the house as possible. However, the more glass is used in a building, the more difficult it is to maintain the dividing line between inside and outside, private and public. Therefore the building plot is divided into three long strips at right angles to the road.

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The bottom and southernmost strip is reserved for the garden, the middle strip contains the villa itself and the most northern strip offers access to the house: this is where the drive, parking space and the entrance are located. This layout of the site means that those parts of the house that the residents prefer to keep private are out of sight.

To create openness and lightness and tot give the residents the feeling living outside in the green, the house is entirely oriented to the secluded garden at the south. Every room in the villa looks directly out on to this garden, because three of the four façades are made of glass.

Architect: Paul de Ruiter
Project Architect: Paul de Ruiter
Project Team: Sander van Veen, Helga Traksel
Advisor Construction: Van Kessel & Janssen bv
Contractor: Bouwbedrijf Valleibouw
Site Area: 1,232 sqm
Constructed Area: 277 sqm
Photographs: Pieter Kers