Courtyard in the Woods
A 1960’s bungalow has been adapted and extended to create a family house and artist studio in the woods of Zwolle. The new plan embraces the old configuration, extending certain spaces, to create a new hierarchy within the ensemble. Building on the existing material pallet of brickwork and timber, the added volume establishes a logical and complimentary relationship with the existing. The various periods of construction can be identified through the details, with large windows set flush with the brickwork, hereby enforcing the clear volumes of the extension and creating large uninterrupted mirror surfaces for the green environment. Large wooden panels and windows behind open brickwork facilitate the ventilation of the house, while ensuring the simplicity of the glass openings. The courtyard, a semi enclosed room without a roof, blurs the boundary between nature and architecture.
