Voorzijde entree cepezed Villate Mijendel Lucasvanderwee

Villa in Meijendel

clients(s)

Jan en Ina Pesman

location

wassenaar

users(s)

jan en ina

Awards & nominations

staalbouwwedstrijd | 2000 | residentiële gebouwen

In this villa, inside you are also a bit outside. Cabinets, bathrooms, balustrades and other elements are added as separate 'furniture' to a structure of steel and glass. The austere, almost futuristic architecture contrasts nicely with the leafy surroundings. And can more or less dissolve into it thanks to the reflections on the glass. Constructively and aesthetically, this is a typical cepezed building, and so is the construction method: the villa was not built with a main contractor, but was put out to partial tender. As it well should be, because the villa is the home of architect Jan Pesman, one of the three founders of cepezed.

Woonkamer cepezed Villate Mijendel Lucasvanderwee

architectural principles

The villa highly reflects cepezed's architectural principles: the design is a prefabricated kit of parts, modular, efficient, in neutral colours. With its demountable construction, the villa is circular ready. Although concrete was used in the basement and foundation, saw cuts make it possible to remove it in loose slabs, should the villa ever be demolished. This concrete as well as the glass, steel and prefab floor slabs can be reused, as can the loose volumes in the interior, with which rooms, closets, and the like are formed.

slope

The house has a rectangular floorplan with an entrance next to the garage. The floor above is the main living level, containing a study, guest room and living room with open kitchen, which opens directly onto the garden because of the difference in height. The top floor contains an open study at a loft and two bedrooms. The floor plan is rectangular, summarising the house as a glass box containing some more closed volumes. Shifting these volumes to one long façade creates space for stairs and galleries along the other long façade.

Doorkijk noordzijde cepezed Villate Mijendel Lucasvanderwee

Woonkamer achterzijde cepezed Villate Mijendel Lucasvanderwee

inside becomes outside

The view inside the house extends from front to back and from top to bottom. In the elongated void between the interior walls and facades, skylights are placed and it holds galleries with glass floors, subtly leaving space between the interior walls and balustrades. Most striking is the view of the surrounding dune landscape. The large, double-height living room has glass facades with sliding doors on three sides; the fourth side is the back wall of the kitchen. When the sliding doors are open, inside seems to become outside.

minimalism

Minimalism only works if it is applied well: it requires a high level of detailing and finishing. Such is the case in this design. For instance, the glass door in the glass wall between the hall and the living room was given a glass handle, which was secured with ultraviolet light. Sockets and (light) buttons were kept to a minimum - operation of light, underfloor heating and blinds are via remote control. Cables and pipes run through the floorboards: removing the furniture creates one open floor field from façade to façade.

sky

On the first floor facing the street is Jan Pesman's study. Glass facades on three sides offer majestic views over the dunes, a single jagged oak tree, and in the distance, above all, lots of sky, which light blue colour points out that the sea is nearby. The walls of the adjacent guest room can be slid open completely, making it part of the study. The double guest bed is futuristically concealed in a closet wall.