With its striking design and desirable location – not to mention some high-end sustainable gizmos thrown in for good measure – Villa Kogelhof in southwestern Netherlands ticks all the right boxes for a new luxury residential build.
Designed by Paul de Ruiter Architects, Villa Kogelhof was completed earlier this year and measures 715 sq m (7696 sq ft) in total. It is located within a protected habitat for animals and plants, and therefore the owner was required to plant some 71,000 trees in order to gain permission to build. The brief called for the house to be self-sufficient, but this appears to be in a bid to achieve the stated goal of "happiness of independence," rather than solely environmental concerns.
The property sports an efficient air-pump central heating system and is slated to receive a wood burning stove which will both heat the home and produce hot water. The stove will be fueled by the trees which surround the 25 hectare (61 acre) estate.
Electricity is currently provided by a roof-based PV solar array, but is due to be supplemented by an electric turbine in due time. We've no word on whether there's also a grid connection, but this seems a reasonable bet, given the region's relative lack of reliable year-round sunlight.
The home's main entrance is located on the basement level, and has ample space to allow indoor parking for six cars and a tractor. Within the basement there's also utility spaces, and a room which overlooks a nearby pond which was created during the build.
Upstairs in the box-shaped main living quarters, the interior layout is mostly open plan, with rooms designated by glass dividers. Indeed, the entire facade is glass too, offering stunning views of the local scenery. There's probably a suitable idiom concerning people in glass houses with which to close this article, but in all honestly, we're far too sick with jealously to bother.
Source: Paul de Ruiter Architects via Arch Daily
