Wooden House in Muiden by Moke Architecten: A Sustainable Living and Working Home

Moke Architecten, in collaboration with la4sale, has designed a stunning wooden house in Muiden, tailored for the founders of the la4sale landscape agency. Nestled directly behind the dike of the IJmeer, near Amsterdam, this residence combines eco-friendly architecture, natural materials, and modern design to create a home that integrates seamlessly with its verdant surroundings.

A Living and Working House with Landscape Sensibility

The clients, both landscape architects, envisioned a house that reflected their professional ethos, blending harmoniously with nature while maximizing views of the IJmeer. The house features a distinct front and rear volume, offset from each other to provide both privacy and panoramic water views. This innovative division allows the front house to open generously toward the garden and the lake, housing the kitchen on the ground floor and a living area on the upper floor. Meanwhile, the rear house serves as a more private volume, accommodating a workspace below and a bedroom above.

Architectural Design: Pergolas, Wood, and Views

A signature feature of this Muiden house is the use of wooden pergolas and adjustable slatted screens, which connect the front and rear volumes. These pergolas create transitional indoor-outdoor spaces, offering openness and privacy as needed. When fully opened, the slats provide unobstructed views of the lake, while closing them ensures seclusion without sacrificing natural light.

The house’s visible wooden structure, including laminated Larch trusses, Fraké exterior finishes, Poplar interior surfaces, and Douglas timber floors, creates a warm and organic living environment. Minimal treatment of the wood emphasizes its natural texture and color, while a central concrete wall, featuring horizontal wooden slats, plays with sunlight and shadows, enhancing the floating steel staircase from the greenhouse above.

Sustainability at the Core

Sustainability is central to the design of the Wooden House in Muiden. The wooden construction stores 23,846 kilos of CO₂, while insulation combines cellulose, wood fibers, and sheep’s wool to ensure energy efficiency. The sloping green roof, planted with moss, sedum, and grasses, collects and filters rainwater, channeling excess water into the front garden. Transparent photovoltaic (PV) cells on the greenhouse roof generate renewable energy, making the house largely self-sufficient. The greenhouse doubles as a semi-climate garden, extending the living space while integrating with the surrounding landscape.

Natural Materials and Eco-Friendly Aesthetic

Throughout the home, wood serves as the central design element, from structural trusses to interior finishes. The interplay of natural light on the wooden textures and the use of organic materials throughout provide a soothing and sustainable ambiance. Combined with the concrete core and floating steel staircase, the residence achieves a balance between modern architectural detailing and natural environmental harmony.

The Wooden House in Muiden is a remarkable example of sustainable residential architecture in the Netherlands. By combining eco-conscious design, natural materials, and thoughtful spatial organization, Moke Architecten has created a living and working environment that fully embraces its landscape surroundings, while offering privacy, comfort, and a strong connection to nature.

All photographs are works of  Thijs Wolzak, Robert Koelewijn