Owners of Dutch architecture firm Min2, Jetty and Maarten Min, decided to build themselves a new combined house and studio. Since architecture is the pair's trade, you'd expect the resulting property to impress, and this indeed transpired: Dune House combines an attractive blend of traditional and modern Dutch styling with a measured approach to energy-efficiency, which includes a smart ventilation system, and energy usage monitor.
Dune House is located in North Holland, on the crest of a sand dune overlooking the coast, with the sea just 300 m (985 ft) away. The property measures a total of 350 sq m (3,767 sq ft), spread over three floors. During construction, Jetty and Maarten were keen to choose building and finishing materials which would visually complement the local surroundings, and so British clay tiles, bark-covered Douglas fir trunks, and exposed timber lend an unfinished rural charm.
Inside, the ground floor of Dune House features storage areas, a bathroom, library, office, and a conference room. The entire space is designed for flexible use, and the inner walls are made of light materials such as MDF, so as to allow adjustments if necessary. The upper two floors contain the actual living quarters for the couple, and afford the best views of the coast.
Dune House also sports a energy-efficient technology in the form of well-insulated windows, and an on-demand smart ventilation system which offers fresh air when required. There's also an air source heat pump that powers the underfloor heating and hot water.
Dune House is still a work-in-progress, and rather than come to a final decision on what energy-reducing tech should be employed, the architects installed an energy-monitoring system to keep track of all energy usage. From here, the pair will eventually decide which types of technology to implement (solar power or wind turbines, for example), in order to minimize the home's energy footprint.