Designed for a couple who desired to live on a single level all living spaces are arranged around a courtyard. This main floor rests in part on a socle which comprises an additional apartment.
The Courtyard House is located on an eastern slope of the lower rhine valley. Designed for a couple the main floor wraps around a courtyard including a swimming pool.
The courtyard is enclosed by the building itself on three sides while the slope and vegetation provide the fourth wall.
This main floor rests in part on columns and in part on a socle which comprises two additional floors including a self-contained apartment. The lowest level contains the garage and infrastructural spaces.
The intermediate level provides the main entrance for visitors besides the extra flat with its own entrance.
The building shows two distinctly different faces. Towards the valley it appears as two fairly minimalist boxes while the courtyard elevation pays homage
to mid-century modernism albeit being set in a moderate climate. This twofold orientation enables a great variety of unique views of the surroundings as well as of other parts of the building itself. The field of view reaches to the horizon and
nonetheless a sense of great intimacy and privacy prevails even in the outdoor spaces.
The plan is organized in a U-shaped layout: kitchen on the southern side, living area on the western side, sleeping and bathrooms on the northern side
creating an open and light filled spatial continuum.
A
SMALL STUDIO FOR DRAWING is located on the neighbouring site.
