Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

This L-shaped wooden house by Dutch studio Pasel Kuenzel Architects sits at the water’s edge on an artificial island in Amsterdam.

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

Rotterdam studio Pasel Kuenzel Architects designed the family home in Grote Rieteiland, one of six islands that makes up the man-made archipelago of Ijburg, east Amsterdam.

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

Each residence on the group of islands is allocated a similar-sized plot and shaped by strict scale and massing guidelines.

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

For this house, the architects created a rectilinear building with a three-storey tower on one side and a small courtyard at the entrance.

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

“Within a strict and complex set of urban rules [we] succeeded to develop a plain and sober urban villa that is unique in its reduced design and compelling in its materialisation and level of detailing,” said the architects.

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

White-painted wooden boards clad the house’s exterior, interspersed with windows that extend right to the edges of the facade.

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

A monochrome colour scheme dominates the interior, which accommodates a large open-plan living area on the ground floor and bedrooms and workspaces inside the tower.

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

Sliding doors provide access from the ground floor to a waterside garden, while the master bedroom opens out onto a large roof terrace.

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

Other properties built in Ijburg include a two-storey house clad with timber and a house with a spiral staircase climbing its exteriorSee more Ijburg houses »

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

More residential projects by Pasel Kuenzel Architects include a rectangular house with two courtyard gardens behind its exterior and a house clad in a chequered pattern of timber and white renderSee more projects by Pasel Kuenzel Architects »

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

Photography is by Marcel van der Burg.

Here is a short description from the architects:


The Power of Simple Things

Close and compact are the residences lined up along the waterside of Grote Rieteiland, an artificial island in Amsterdam’s hip neighbourhood Ijburg.

Within a strict and complex set of urban rules pasel.kuenzel architects succeeded to develop a plain and sober urban villa that is unique in its reduced design and compelling in its materialisation and level of detailing.

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

The building is a composition of a horizontal plinth for living and a vertical element comprising workspaces, bedrooms for the kids, a master bedroom and above all a tremendous roof terrace. Due to a 12m wide glazed facade on the south side the main living area relates directly to the water. The house grants access via a patio facing the street and marking the threshold between public and private.

The unusual materialisation of white painted raw timber boards of Douglas fir underlines the compelling power of simple things.

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects

Architect: pasel.kuenzel architects
Team: R. Pasel, F. Künzel, F. Pocas
Client: Private
Location: Amsterdam, NL
Date: 2009-2013
Size: 307 m2

Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects
Ground floor plan
Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects
First floor plan
Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects
Second floor plan
Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects
Cross section
Urban Villa in Amsterdam by Pasel Kuenzel Architects
Long section

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Pasel Kuenzel Architects
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IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

This timber-clad house by Dutch office Marc Prosman Architecten was one of the first to be constructed on an artificial island in IJburg, Amsterdam (+ slideshow).

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

As one of six man-made islands that make up the IJburg district, East Rieteilanden is a residential neighbourhood where approximately 80 new homes are in development.

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

Each residence on the island is given a similar-sized plot and is shaped by a series of construction guidelines. “The maximum size of the building has resulted in a uniformity of volumes on the island,” Marc Prosman Architecten‘s Martien ter Veen told Dezeen.

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

For IJburg Villa, the architects designed a rectilinear two-storey volume with rectangular recesses creating an entrance porch and first-floor balcony.

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

Lengths of pine are arranged vertically across the outer walls and also provide shutters across the windows. The building is positioned beside the water, so a layer of green water-repellent foil is inserted behind the cladding and can be glimpsed through the gaps between each wooden panel.

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

“The brown timber gives the closed facade depth and lightness,” says Ter Veen. “Its appearance refers to the reed that is planted along the shores of Rieteiland-Oost island.”

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

An area of concrete surrounds the outer walls of the kitchen and indicates the entrance into the house.

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

Beyond the entrance, the kitchen is positioned on the right, a living room is to the left and a staircase leads up to three bedrooms upstairs. The largest of the bedrooms has a private bathroom and opens out to the balcony overlooking the water.

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

The architects also added a long bookshelf along one wall at ground floor level, which is lit from behind by a frosted window.

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

Other completed residences on East Rieteilanden include a house with an entirely glazed rear facade and a timber house with a spiral staircase on its side. See more architecture in IJburg.

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

Photography is by Milad Pallesh.

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

Above: site plan

Here’s a short description from Marc Prosman Architecten:


On this new IJburg parcel Marc Prosman Architecten designed a detached villa, carefully embedded in this island by its open and panoramic qualities. This spacious experience with a beautiful view on the water resembles the client’s wish for a sense of freedom and characterises the design.

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

Above: ground and first floor plans

The back facade is mostly glass fronts, providing access to a platform terrace and the building wide balcony. The fronts are subtly framed by the same wooden structure as all facades, giving this villa its coherent appearance. The entrance at the front is being accented by a concrete frame.

IJburg Villa by Marc Prosman Architecten

Above: long section – click for larger image

Next to the entrance the kitchen is situated; the living room at the back faces the water. One wall consists of glass, mainly. A horizontal strip of frosted glass on the outside is a bookcase on the inside. This welcomes diffuse light into the living room, without affecting the occupants’ privacy.

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Marc Prosman Architecten
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