In renovating this freestanding house in Hoofddorp, Serge Schoemaker Architects gave it a radical metamorphosis, creating a spacious interior full of character, with charming sight lines and plenty of daylight. The new floor plan has been reduced to two storage walls that reach from floor to ceiling.
In the renovation, the interior of this thatched-roof house has undergone a rigorous transformation, with the entire ground floor opened up and reorganized. The concrete structure of the house made it possible to create an almost fully open floor plan.
Enlarging the living space by including the former garage and loft above made the ground floor not only more spacious but also taller. A new rooflight at a height of over four metres draws exceptional levels of daylight inside.
The refurbished ground level features a terrazzo floor poured on site. Placed on this white stone surface are two full-height storage walls, finished in oak-veneer, which functionally organize the plan and enhance the quality of space.
Carefully positioned openings in these storage walls set up views through the interior and out of the house. Open and half-open niches and a large transparent hearth create a visually balanced composition. To the front is an open kitchen, featuring a monolithic white kitchen island with terrazzo worktop.
The addition of folding doors at the front and rear of the house opens up the remarkable living space to the green surroundings with abundant water. As a result, the open hearth at the centre can be used from inside and outside.
