Double-height courtyard opens up Hidden Villa in the Netherlands by i29

A double-height courtyard filled with trees and plants forms the focal point of this house in the south of the Netherlands, designed by Dutch architecture studio i29.

Named Hidden Villa because of its secluded garden setting, the two-storey home occupies the site of a former hospital on the coast of the North Sea.

Amsterdam studio i29 designed Hidden Villa with a central courtyard and a swimming pool, responding to the client's brief for a home with a strong relationship to the outdoors.

A generous entrance, kitchen and dining area on the ground floor leads out onto the large central patio, which is open to the sky to create a sense of spaciousness.

"When entering the home, a gradient of light builds up towards the central part of the home," said i29 partner Chris Collaris.

"It slowly builds up until you reach the kitchen which is connected to the big central patio," he told Dezeen.

The central double-height patio and another smaller one in the hallway act as "connectors" between the home's ground and first floor, where there are three bedrooms and a bathroom.

"We tried to double the potential of the patio space by stacking two patios partly or completely on top of each other," added Collaris. "They are also top down daylight providers without losing the privacy in the spaces on the first floor."

Cantilevering canopies run around the house, aligned with the sun's path to protect the villa from overheating despite the extensive use of glass in the facades. Beneath the canopy is an outdoor kitchen and sheltered terraces for relaxing.

Hidden Villa's structure comprises a concrete base and timber-framed walls, with wooden beams used for the first floor and roof. A steel frame forms the cantilevering canopies, while the ends of the canopies are made with prefabricated white-concrete modules.

To create a "refined" feel, the villa's facades are clad in a variety of materials. The entrance, patios and upper-level facades are clad in oil-treated ash, while the south and east facades on the ground level and the outbuilding are made of long light-toned bricks.

White concrete is also used for the floors that surround the house, while indoors, the ceilings are finished with stucco and aluminum frames the large glass windows.

Hidden Villa is finished with custom-made furniture and built-in cabinetry, integrated into the villa's architectural design. Dark-oiled oak panels, continuous white concrete floors, and natural stone kitchen features bring a crafted feel to the home.

According to Collaris, the estate on which the home is located was once filled with trees but a number had been lost over the years.

"It was our job to create this enclosed natural environment on the plot again, but now with a home in the middle," he said. "A villa which is in dialogue with its green surroundings."

Previous projects by i29 include a bamboo-clad house designed to connect its residents to the surrounding woodland and a holiday home that references birdhouses and nests.

The photography is by Tim Van de Velde.

The post Double-height courtyard opens up Hidden Villa in the Netherlands by i29 appeared first on Dezeen.