An Elegant and Captivating Modern Transparent House Behind a Grove of Trees in Bontebok, The Netherlands

Villa Sterk is an elegant modern transparent home located in Bontebok, The Netherlands. It was designed by Inbo, the house is made of concrete, finished with natural white stone, offers an open-plan living and dining room, aluminum frames and high efficiency glass.

by Laura Jul 19, 2020 22 Images

Villa Sterk by Inbo

Living in the countryside

On the outskirts of Bontebok, a village north of Heerenveen, Mr. and Mrs. Sterk have built a very special and interesting house. The long sweeping plot on which the house was built, is tucked away in the Frisian landscape and surrounded by ‘tree walls’, hiding it from the road.

Long lane through the private landscape

The house is designed within the landscape context. By placing the house across the full width of the lot, the lot is divided into a courtyard on the entrance side of the house and into an open landscape garden on the other side. A long driveway leads the visitor through a small forest and the courtyard to the front door located at the entrance gate leading to the landscaped garden.

The lane ends at the southern edge of the plot in the quiet of the countryside. At this poin t we suggested to make a folly where one can enjoy a cup of tea, while enjoying the silence of the landscape and the view of your home.

Inside and outside space gradually merge together

The architecture supports the spatial seclusion of the place. The location on the lot creates a north and a south façade with a public side and a private side, a sunny side and a shady side. The lot is enclosed by mature tree walls.

Where the tree rampart touches the house, a natural stone wall takes over the guidance of the landscape and at the same time serves as the termination on both short sides of the house. On the south side the stone wall retreats a little and provides a diagonal view of the landscaped garden. The ground floor floats just above the earth as if the house has not yet ‘landed’ and is a guest in the landscape.

Sustainable and energy efficient

The floors, walls and ceilings of the house are made of concrete, finished with natural white stone or stucco. High quality and durable materials that have been used include aluminum frames and high efficiency glass. The heat and cold storage in the ground ensures that no gas is needed. Together with a long narrow strip of solar collectors in the landscape garden, the house is very energy efficient.

Photos by: Inbo & Auke van der Weide