House in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten

House in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Exterior Photography, WindowsHouse in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Exterior Photography, Windows, Door, FacadeHouse in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Interior Photography, KitchenHouse in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Exterior Photography, Windows, FacadeHouse in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - More Images+ 16

  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  180
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2017
  • Photographs
    Photographs:René de Wit
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Lei Import BV, ODS, Schüco
  • Lead Architects: Ruud Visser, Fumi Hoshino
House in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Exterior Photography, Windows
© René de Wit

Text description provided by the architects. The Tolstraat in the small Dutch village Meerkerk is a historic street with houses built in the early 1900th. On one hand the facades are strictly lined-up making the street formal, but on the other hand the houses in the street are built up by small elements: annexes, sheds, roofs and fascias. Towards the back the houses are situated along a nature reserve. This leads to a totally different atmosphere. The main challenge was: 'how to blend in a new (contemporary) house into this complex historic setting of the Tolstraat? We decided to adapt the local 'messiness' into our design.

House in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Exterior Photography, Windows, Door, Facade
© René de Wit

A retired couple asked Ruud Visser Architects to design their house on a plot in the Tolstraat in Meerkerk. The lady of the house grew up in the former house on the same lot. For her this is a location filled with memories. One of her favourite things was the beautiful view on the backside of the house, almost invisible from the front.

House in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Interior Photography, Kitchen
© René de Wit
House in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Image 15 of 21
Section 1 and Section 2
House in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Interior Photography, Stairs, Handrail
© René de Wit

The facades of the buildings in the Tolstraat are lined-up very strictly lengthwise to the street. In this way forming a compact wall of individual facades. The entrances of the houses are directly on to the street, making it look like a shopping street of a medium-sized town. Yet at the same time, the Tolstraat feels slightly disorganized. This gives it its rural atmosphere. Small volumes and elements have been built up the houses during the cause of time. Making it a mix of 'variegated concatenation' of annexes, sheds, roofs and fascias.

House in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Exterior Photography, Windows
© René de Wit

The back of the lot is situated along a nature reserve called 'De Zouweboezem'. This is a 700-year-old excavated water-reservoir to aggregate the water from a huge area. From De Zouwboezem, the water is pumped into the rivers by windmills. The windmills now long have disappeared, yet once there were as many windmills on this location as on the famous Dutch 'Kinderdijk'.

House in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Image 8 of 21
© René de Wit

The main challenge in this project consisted of 'how to blend in a new (contemporary) house into the complex historic setting of the Tolstraat?'

House in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© René de Wit

We decided to work with the local village character of the street by not approaching the house as a single stand-alone object. we divided the body of the house into three distinct parts. Every part is made of a different material, each already to be found in the adjacent facades in the Tolstraat.

Part 1: The brick front-façade along the Tolstraat.
Part 2: The white plastered sidewall.
Part 3: The grey slate roof.

The back façade is opened up completely to optimally enjoy of the view on the water of 'De Zouweboezem'.

House in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten - Image 10 of 21
© René de Wit

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Cite: "House in Meerkerk / Ruud Visser Architecten" 06 Jul 2017. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/875160/house-in-meerkerk-ruud-visser-architecten> ISSN 0719-8884

© René de Wit

呼应环境“三部曲” Meerkerk 住宅 / Ruud Visser Architecten

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