villa kogelhof by paul de ruiter architects. noord-beveland, the netherlands.
the home consists of two square stacked volumes: half of the house is raised above the landscape in a glazed box floating above ground, while the other half is buried underneath a pool of water. the architects were asked to design a home that would provide a comfortable environment all year round while minimizing its energy use & impact on a site that is in a protected ecological area.
the main living area, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, bathrooms & a multifunctional space are in the elongated volume above ground. glass doors & partitions separate the spaces & include a walled in patio. below ground, another rectangular box arranged perpendicular to the upper story houses a garage, storage, a bathroom & an office. a large picture window at the end of the office overlooks an artificial lake.
in order to build on the site, which is a habitat for many plants & animals, the owners were required to return what had previously been farmland to its original pre-agricultural state. they planted 71,000 young trees that will eventually obscure the house from view & added a rectangular pond above the underground story.
energy saving techniques include a fabric screen built into the insulated glazed facade that can be rolled down to reflect the sun & create a void between the glass & screen through which ventilation flows. wood from the private forest will be burned to heat water for the house once the trees have matured, while photovoltaic cells on the roof & a planned windmill will generate electricity.
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