Sundrops concrete brickhouse

Design us a timeless house that is lifecycle proof and also maintenance friendly and energyneutral, that was the assignment of the clients.

The beautiful location in Udenhout, a small village near Tilburg, requires a subdued resolution.

In front it's gazing at the church in the heart of the village while the back is located at a rustic orchard and an inner village meadow.

The objective of the design therefore was clear from the beginning; utilize as much as possible of the rural view at the rear of the house, and create a perfect sightline to the church from the kitchen.

Due to the sober design, the house is not too present. She is visually restrained in the surroundings as an average farm in this neighborhood does. However, the long concrete stones, in different shades of grey, create a vivid appearance and is anything but rural. The minimum number of different materials ensures a modern modest appearance.

The layout of the house has been completely shaped by the spaces around it. The living areas and the sleeping area on the ground floor focus on the garden, meadow and the sun. The secondary spaces are situated at the dark 'cold' side of the house. The cantilever roof of the house to the west side includes an evening terrace with a beautiful view of the adjacent orchard.

Despite the fact that the home is energy-neutral, this doesn't impact the design in any way.

The house is heated by a heatpump with geothermal heat and the energy required for it is generated by solar panels on the toproof and a heat recovery system prevents energy loss while ventilating the house.

The full glass facade on the south side provides a lot of heat during the winter months. The built-in sunshades make sure that it never gets overheated.

The use of durable, maintenance friendly materials ensures long-term esthetic quality of this timeless retiring villa.