Villa 22º
In Villa 22º, water serves as the connecting element. Not only did water play a unifying role in the construction process when pouring concrete, it also has a defining function in the way in which the villa is experienced and perceived. This is a villa in which a sleek geometric interplay of lines ? with a leading role for concrete, glass, and wood ? forms a symbiosis with the rippling water in the swimming pool. This alliance between the hard, unyielding nature of the concrete, the warm appearance of the applied elm wood, and the rippling water gives Villa 22º a welcoming and homely feel. The villa lies nestled in a hill in the rural landscape of the green, leafy foreland of the Meuse river. The elongated design invites, offers security, and provides a unique living experience with an alternation of privacy and transparency. The name Villa 22º is inspired by the specific location of the building, which lies on a slope of 22 degrees. By pure coincidence, the house number also happened to be 22. Photography by © Hugo Thomassen
During the construction work of the villa, the concrete was cast in place and all pipes and installations are installed in these concrete slabs. The potential of concrete as a construction material and as the proud main bearer of the architectural identity of the building has been pushed to extremes. The protruding balconies are illustrative of the tension that can be achieved with concrete. From the outside, the elegant villa looks like...