In The Hague’s Vogelwijk district in The Netherlands, a minimalist house extension contrasts sharply with the expressive brick architecture of a 1927’s house, exposing the ‘hidden’ qualities.
The house has an original annex at the front side with behind it a beautiful fig tree in the garden that was not visible from inside the old house. Because the new extension extends beyond the existing width of the house, the glass extension is going into a relationship with the existing annex. This creates a semi-enclosed outdoor space around the old fig tree. By widening the extension, a third world arises around the hidden fig tree alongside the old and the new world.
Christian Van Der Kooy
The design for the extension of the house balances between a sharp contrast and the relationship it has with the existing 'hidden' qualities of the house.
The existing architecture from 1927 has elements of Art Nouveau and the Amsterdam School. The new addition adds a sharp contrast to the expressive brick architecture through minimalist detailing. The fully glazed façade has a minimal roof ledge and glass that runs to the level of the garden. From the inside, there are virtually no visual barriers to the outside, to which view and daylight are given free rein. The construction of the extension is kept out of sight but for one plus-shaped column, which makes the roof of the extension seem to float. The glass facade can open up to a large open corner, which makes the dining table feel as if it is in the outside space. This is in contrast to the modest kitchen and dining room with less natural light in the original house.
Christian Van Der Kooy
In the interior the concrete floor and the new kitchen wall have been used to connect old and new. The floor and the kitchen penetrate into the existing home and in this way mix old and new through sharp lines.
In The Hague, this house extension seamlessly blends into the expressive brick design of a 1927 building. This minimalist extension, characterized by the use of Keller minimal windows®, reveals the previously hidden beauty of the original annex and its surrounding fig tree. The original structure had an annex at the front, leading to a beautiful but obscured fig tree in the garden. The new extension extends beyond the existing width of the house, creating a semi-enclosed outdoor space that highlights the fig tree.
Christian van der Kooy
Unobstructed Views
The minimal windows play a central role in the transformation, offering expansive glass facades that create a harmonious connection between the old and new architecture. The sleek frames ensure unobstructed views and flood the interior with natural light, creating a captivating interplay between indoor and outdoor spaces. The design concept for this house extension masterfully balances the sharp contrast between new and old while maintaining a harmonious relationship with the existing qualities of the 1927 architecture. The glass facade opens up to a large corner, skillfully integrating the dining area with the surrounding garden.
Christian van der KooyChristian van der KooyChristian van der Kooy
Keller minimal windows® is a leading system manufacturer for design sliding systems. Under the name minimal windows® these innovative, virtually frameless sliding windows and doors are installed in particular in higher-class private and commercial buildings. Keller minimal windows® manufactures with 50 employees on a production area of 8,400 square metres in Troisvierges, Luxembourg. Dreams made of aluminium and glass are presented on an exhibition area of more than 2,000 square metres.
Individuality is our strength. Development of the Keller minimal windows® design sliding system began in 2008. Minimum facing widths of the profiles, post-free corner solutions and the possibility of large glass areas of the sliding systems cater to the architectural trend toward transparency and the creation of light-flooded rooms. Keller minimal windows® presented the energy-efficient variant, Keller minimal windows®4+, at the BAU 2013 in Munich. This is the superlative system with triple-glazed insulated design leaves in a low-energy standard, manufacturable leaf weights of up to 1,000 kg and sliding leaves with glass areas of up to 12 sq. metres. All sliding systems can optionally be equipped with electric drives. Keller minimal windows® intends to expand its European and international activities further via specialised glass and metal construction partner companies. The Keller minimal windows® design sliding systems hit the bulls eye of modern architecture. They will be distributed quickly by expert partner companies, not just as prefabricated system components, but also as custom system elements.
