Buitenhuis House / VLOT Architecten

Architects: VLOT Architecten
Area: 54 m²
Year: 2020
Photography: Courtesy of VLOT Architecten
Project Team: Jeroen Lemans, Stefan de Vos
Construction: Transistor, Gouda
Installation Consultant: Kusters Bouwadvies, Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
City: Heinenoord
Country: The Netherlands

Buitenhuis House, designed by VLOT Architecten in 2020, integrates a small wooden structure within a garden setting between a dike and farmland. The 54 m² house features a fully glazed facade that opens to blur the line between indoor and outdoor spaces. The cantilevered deck expands the usable area to 210 m², and the modular design incorporates existing plants and trees. The structure is engineered to be completely dismountable, using sustainable materials like laminated larch and CLT, with features such as a sedum-covered roof, electric floor heating, and openable glass facades for ventilation.

In a garden between a dike and farmland, VLOT Architecten designed a small house. The clients wanted to enjoy the garden and the view over the farmland more. This was translated into a wooden structure interwoven with its surroundings, incorporating existing plants and trees. The entire glazed facade can be opened, blurring the border between inside and outside. The cantilever adds to this, creating a gradual transition. Buitenhuis is 54 m², but when the weather allows, the deck enlarges the surface area to 210 m². The floor is slightly elevated, allowing the garden to continue under the deck.

The deck cantilevers over an existing ditch, creating a border between garden and farmland. From this vantage point, the ever-changing farmland can be observed. The pergola, integrated within the structure, creates a direct relation with the garden from the inside. Rainwater is guided via the roof to the pergola, irrigating the plants and trees. The structure is made of laminated larch combined with CLT.

Three CLT walls give stability to the column and beam structure, designed on a 1.5-meter grid. Cross-shaped columns carry the roof, and the modular structure is filled with six prefabricated elements.

This building uses wood extensively to minimize CO2 impact. Wood is used for the larch load-bearing structure, window frames, cladding, wood fiber insulation, birch plywood floor and ceiling, and padouk decking. The roof is covered with sedum, serving as a water collector and integrating the building with nature. The building is engineered to be completely dismountable, using only dry connections. Buitenhuis is all-electric, with electric floor heating, boilers, and cooking. The cantilevers keep the summer sun out and let the winter sun in, while the elevated roof allows hot air to rise. The glass facade can be opened from all sides for ventilation.

The building was engineered using the BIM model. The existing swimming pool was measured on site, and these coordinates were used as a digital reference. The 3D models of the steel foundation and wooden structure were synced, optimized, and interchanged. The client acted as the contractor, bringing together fitting subcontractors. VLOT Architecten ordered all necessary building materials on time, using the BIM model to minimize waste.

The modular design allowed for prefabrication, with finished elements assembled on site. The load-bearing structure, window frames, decking boards, floors, and ceilings were made in a workshop and brought to the site.