Holiday House Vdg - Compact weekend home becomes vacation home for the whole family
After its renovation, this charming 1970s house is no longer just an attractive weekend home for its owner, but also a cosy home for the children and grandchildren who enjoy spending time there during the vacations.

One intervention creates more space
The client for this renovation loves to let her grandchildren enjoy her seaside retreat during the vacations. However, this required more space and an overall renovation. This was done with respect for the human scale and archetypal features of the fermette style home. They inspired the designers to create more space, more light and a new flow in the house with a few well thought-out interventions. By inserting a second gabled roof volume at a 90° angle into the existing structure, new interior and exterior spaces, walkways and views were created. The dining area in the new wing overlooks the garden and, at the intersection of the two volumes, is separated from the kitchen and loft by an elegant spiral staircase leading to the bathroom and bedrooms upstairs, five in all. A triangular window at the very top of the top gable provides an interesting depth of view and subtle light.

Uniting tradition and contemporary elements
Architecturally, the new volume blends seamlessly with the existing structure, whose roof was consolidated and restored. By also giving an aesthetic dimension to the structural elements in the interior, such as the support beam and bricks, the new construction can easily be read into its entirety. The furniture was designed in the same breath. Throughout the renovation project, a traditional structure was chosen with contemporary elements and details, such as gargoyles on the gutters and wooden rafters that give extra detail to the eaves. Block windows were also chosen, which give the whole extra expression. The concrete pedestal on which the windows rest forms a bench - a wooden resting place in the evening sun - where the residents can take off their boots after a long walk along the beach before entering the warmth and coziness of the vacation home. A similar resting place in the morning sun was created under the kitchen window using a concrete bench cast on site.

Summary
With one thoughtful intervention in the existing compact volume of this vacation home by the sea, a home was created where one person, as well as all the children and grandchildren can spend unforgettable weekends and vacations together. After seeing the final result, the satisfied owner decided to make this former weekend home her permanent residence.