Architectural Elegance and Tranquility: Unveiling Mecanoo's Villa BW

Villa BW is embraced by a naturally sloping landscape, featuring a double-curved roof and a distinct facade. The roof is formed by two overlapping shapes - a gable roof on the dune-side, reminiscent of the Oorsprongweg street scene, and a horizontal roofline on the polder-side.

The villa is built across three floors, with an extra level in the roof's hood. The terrain's natural course and the dune landscape's replenishment have resulted in the ground floor and basement level (-1) having a direct connection to the environment. Facing southeast, the connection to the sloped garden and landscape is further strengthened by two voids enclosed by a curtain wall system.

The connection between the landscape and the house is expressed through the facade and roof cladding, which is covered in a single natural material - a custom ceramic tile. This multicoloured glazed tile cladding reflects the transitions in the landscape, from dune to polder, and the soil layers, from light to dark.

The interior design of the building is organized around curtain wall-enclosed voids and a wood-clad core. The curtain wall allows natural light to reach the basement levels, while the enclosed element-feature from the basement to the roof accommodates supporting functions. To complete the interior design, wooden frames passing through the traditional tile work provide stunning views of the surrounding countryside.

The façade's colour and appearance contributes to the transition from dune to polder landscape. The monolithic presence of the building is emphasized by the sloping roof and exterior walls, which are clad in multicoloured glazed ceramic tiles. The hue of these tiles creates a unified look, connecting and blending the building into the changing landscape.

The colour palette of the villa is in harmony with the shades of the surrounding environment, creating a seamless transition between the two. The design consists of five shades of grey, green, and blue, which reflect the dune and polder landscape in different seasons. The tiles have a glossy, iridescent glaze, giving them a pearlescent appearance and influencing the way light reflects off the facade and roof.

• Architects: Mecanoo
• Area: 308 m²
• Year: 2022
• Photographs:Ossip Architectuurfotografie

• City: Schoorl
• Country: The Netherlands