House AB by Space Encounters in Brook-op-Langeveld, Netherlands

Project: House AB
Architects: Space Encounters
Location: Brook-op-Langeveld, Netherlands
Year: 2023
Photos by: Lorenzo Zandi

House AB by Space Encounters

The renovation of House AB preserved the layout of the first floor, expanding it vertically within urban constraints. Supported by a bright black steel structure, it elegantly combines steel mesh on the first floor with white brick masonry at the base. As the house is designed for a growing family in Brook-op-Langeveld, Netherlands, every spatial element had to be re-evaluated.

House AB was created for a growing family in Brook-op-Langeveld. Before the land use reform at the beginning of the 1970s, wild villages Brook, Zuid and Nord-Sharvood were divided into hundreds of small islands accessible only by water. Over time, some of these islands were declared a nature reserve while others became residential zones.

The residential area consists of separate plots with single-story houses surrounded by water. Fragmented volumes and predominant gabled roofs characterize the architecture of such homes. Differences in form and size of gabled roofs, window openings, and masonry make each dwelling unique. Given the complexities of transforming existing residential stock, House AB represents a modest yet expressive example of how living in a rural setting can become more sustainable and meet modern requirements.

One of the key aspects of designing the renovation and transformation was preserving the layout of the first floor, along with increasing the area on the second floor to the maximum allowable volume according to urban regulations. For this, a new roof and first floor were designed while maintaining the perception of fragmented volumes on the first level. The roof and first-floor expansion cover the existing brick construction and stand on a prominent black steel structure.

The steel mesh of the first floor and white brick masonry on the first level give each layer its individuality and a sense of unity despite differences in volumes. Deep sight lines and spacious windows on the first floor connect the kitchen, living room, and office with the external space, while the second floor with its more enclosed facade, specific openings, and wooden finishes creates a cozy atmosphere with bedrooms and bathroom.

The gabled roof clad in profiled aluminum gives the house its distinctive silhouette and ties all elements together. The gutter system, a traditional element of gabled roofs in arcade districts, was presented as an expressive and whimsical architectural detail through a steel balcony. Additionally, the house features abstract openings and prismatic forms in black steel construction such as circles, triangles, and squares.

Careful finishing with aluminum elements and a restrained color palette make various components of the house a unified whole in plan, facade, and section. This transforms the one-dimensional 1980s house into a more complex and diverse architectural work fully embracing the qualities of its surroundings—greenery and water. The result is a dwelling where tradition and modernity blend perfectly.

– Space Encounters