Villa SG21

The architects of FillieVerhoeven designed Villa SG21 on a plot located next to a historic road that crosses a rural area between the cities of Rotterdam and Gouda.

The property, close to the Dutch Yssel River, is surrounded by lush meadows dotted with trees and shrubs. Strict local planning rules dictated that the building should not exceed a certain volume and should include a sloping roof. To achieve the audacious and minimalist aesthetics desired by the owners while respecting the imposed rules, the architects have combined references to the agricultural heritage of the region with contemporary details.

The minimalist and elaborate details combined with the robust shape of a barn give the design its chic and modesty that seem to work best in blackened wooden box. Instead of a conventional gable-shaped profile, the building has a staggered roofline that accommodates two levels on one side of the house and gradually descends to the height of a single floor on the other.

Each of the wooden facades has large windows. The main living room is lined with what the studio said was "probably the biggest sliding door ever made in a residential house in Holland. This full-height sliding surface extends for about ten meters and includes only two glass panels that each weigh more than 500 kg, despite being only 20 mm thick. All other glazing, with the exception of the front and rear doors, can be opened to improve the connection between the inside and the outside. The green setting of the house is the result of its location in one of the wettest areas of the Netherlands. The architects chose to green the roof and give the impression that the garden extends over the building.