Nestled into the unique dune landscape of Terschelling, one of the Wadden Islands in the Netherlands, this house by Unknown Architects is both modest and expressive. Drawing inspiration from the surrounding holiday homes, the house appears from a distance as a single-storey building with an asymmetrical roof. Closer up, a lower ground floor becomes visible.
The house comprises three key elements: a solid concrete base, a panoramic window that connects the ground floor to the dune landscape, and an asymmetrical timber roof. To reduce construction time and impact on the site, much of the house was prefabricated.
The first project featuring cross-laminated construction on Terschelling the ground floor and roof are built up out of CLT. The structure sits on a pigmented concrete base that was cast in a factory. Finally, the roof is clad with board and batten Accoya planks.
The elements of the pigmented concrete base have been cast in the factory, while the ground floor and roof construction are built up out of cross-laminated timber (CLT), making this the first CLT construction on Terschelling. The roof is clad with board and batten Accoya planks. Combining these different elements results in an exterior with a variety of subtle rhythms and textures.
Borrowing from the colour and tones of the landscape, the house includes Iroko window frames and Accoya roof planks. As the building ages, it will slowly turn grey and blend further into the earth.
Spaces are heated and cooled via a ground-source heat pump while ventilation grills are integrated into the timber window frames to allow for natural ventilation. The overhanging timber roof protects the building from the sun in the summer and includes demountable timber sunscreens that can be annually moved to provide shadow and privacy.
