Villa Planckensloot

Midlaren, Drenthe NL
2015

Studiokaza was commissioned to make a design proposal for a villa in Midlaren. Fundamental design principles originate from the site, that is located in Drenthe -a rural, northern province of Holland. Morphologically, Villa Planckensloot is based on the classic barn, a widespread posture in the area.

The provincial route between Zuidlaren and Groningen was a conceptual starting point in terms of movement and altering panoramic views on the landscape. While the road meanders through the area, farmyards and trees substitutely block the view, occasionally displaying wide views on grass,-  meadowlands and forests.

The plot area contains no ‘cultivated garden’. The surrounding grasslands, covered with wild flowers, continue on the plot. Adjacent outside spaces consist of elevated terraces, except for the central patio, opening briefly to the outside at this point the landscape visualy becomes a part of the central axis of the interior hall.

Next to a more common program Villa Planckensloot contains a boathouse, a pilates practice space, a guesthouse and an office with a view on the owners car.

In the design this experience of movement trough space knows an apex on the central axis. Covering the view on certain parts the moment the controlled view on the landscape is being displayed the awareness of living in this remarkable environment is being amplified.

Simultaneously the terraces and patio as an extension of the interior make a gradual transition between the intimate ethos of the house and the windy open landscape.

The plot, once a small township with a a few houses, barns and two windmills, has been abandoned for years. While the sawmills became redundant, the township gradually got in decay. The last development on the site conained a Brazilian grill restaurant. The restaurant burnt down a few years ago. In this context Studiokaza was asked to redevelop this remarkable site.

While uncovering and opening up to the landscape expressively on the backside, to the front Villa Planckensloot articulates itself as a well-known, traditional silhouette on the exact location where once a barn stood.