A couple in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, reached out to Reset Architecture after purchasing a plot of land in 2013. Their request was rather out of the ordinary in that they were requesting the firm to just design the house and to let them build it themselves. Appropriately named the DIY House, the project required simple construction methods so they could do a majority of the work with little need for help from the outside. While it took them much longer than it would have had they gone the traditional route, they can take pride in the finished results.

The house is shaped like a minimalist cube with a facade that’s divided into two parts, the upper portion clad in black plates and the lower section’s horizontal boards being painted in 50 shades of green.
The exterior immediately sets the tone with a gradient that was inspired by the collaborative talks between the architect and the couple, who referenced artists Mark Rothko and Josef Albers.

The ground floor layout surrounds an open staircase allowing maximum daylight to fill the interior spaces.

Three bedrooms and a bathroom take up residence on the upper floor surrounding the open, light-filled staircase.

Photos by Stijn Poelstra.

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