Amsterdam based studio Engel Architecten has recently completed this residence in the wooded surroundings of Zeist, a small town in the centre of the Netherlands. By carefully configuring the design and choosing the materials and colours, Engel Architecten has tried to blend in the building with its surroundings rich of pine trees and heath.

This villa is designed for a lot in a newly developed residential area named Kerckebosch, east to the centre of Zeist . The surroundings are characterized by wooded areas adjacent to a newly created open moorland . The trees at the site consists mainly of pine trees interspersed with a few American oak and beech.

The design of the house is inspired by this wooded area and the character of the moor. The soft and natural shades of the brickwork and the contrasting colours of the window frames blends in well with the atmosphere of both the forest with all of its different shades of brown and grey, and the moor with its pastel shades and sandy colours of the bottom. Besides the materials used, the strong vertical and horizontal lines in the design also have been taken from the characteristics of the environment which is rich of high straight vertical trunks and horizontal lined branches and treetops.

In the design, an attempt was made to leave the direct surroundings as intact as possible, the house is placed on a deck that seems to hoover above the ground, and a large part of the existing trees on the lot have been preserved. To blend in the design furthermore, the remaining part of the surrounding garden will have the character of the adjacent moor.

The villa opens up to the garden and the moorland . From the double-height living room, the residents have beautiful views of the pine trees and the moor. Through the high glass façades the surrounding landscape becomes part of the inside space of this residence. This effect is reinforced by the finishing of the floor, which is the exactly the same both inside and outside.

Building the villa was finished right before the end of 2014.

Situated in a wooded area of the Netherlands, this residence blends into its surrounding of pine trees and moor thanks to carefully configured design and selection of materials and colours.

Designed by Engel Architecten, the soft and natural shades of the brickwork and contrasting colours of the window frames blend in well with the atmosphere of both the forest, with all of its different shades of brown and grey, and the moor with its pastel shades and sandy colours.

The particular brick used here is Geosteen from MBI Beton. These slim, stylish bricks are made from mainly natural granulates and create the look and feel of natural stone, offering improved affordability and practical properties over natural stone, as well as better colour stability as compared to concrete.

Spatially, from the double-height living room, residents have beautiful views of the pine trees and the moor. Through the high glass facades, the surrounding landscape becomes part of the inside space of this residence. This effect is reinforced by the finishing of the floor, which is exactly the same both indoors and out.

More from the Manufacturer:

As you may already know MBI is the inventor of concrete tiles and bricks with a unique top layer comprised of high-quality materials selected for their natural colours. This involves making a base consisting mainly of natural granulates. These stones have many benefits including being available in larger sizes, having more attractive colour nuances and improved colour stability over a longer period when compared to conventional concrete. And they also have better practical properties than natural stone. Moreover, these products are more attractively priced. The collective name for this contemporary and innovative MBI product is: GeoSteen®. When you encounter the term ‘Geo’ in a product description, you now know that there is always an exceptional story hiding behind the eye-catching surface!

With the look and feel of natural stone HORIZONTAL LINING GeoStylistix offers you the chance to design something unique. A very tall, slim and extremely stylish brick. Distinctive in terms of color, size and texture. Due to the a-typical dimensions, it is possible to create a special horizontal lining for your facade. The advantages of concrete, combined with the aesthetic characteristics of natural stone. You will be pleasantly surprised by the design freedom and choices that GeoStylistix guarantees. You can choose the color of the natural minerals and precisely build the wall that you have in mind.

Long format Long format Module format Product code EXCM . . . ESCM ... ETCM . . . Size (LxWxH in mm) 595x95x40 295x95x40 297X97X88 Compressive strength (N/mm²) 25 25 25 Stone weight (kg) 5 2,5 5,2 Amount/m² * * 37 74 34 Mortar consumption/m² (litre) * * 12 13 12 Amount per package/layer 168/28 336/56 216/24 Shipment weight (kg) 700 700 624 Shipment dimensions (LxWxH in mm) 1120x595x475 1120x595x475 1056x594x582 % Stretch stones 50 50 75 % Head-stretch stones 50 50 25 % Head-stretch-head stones -- * * * On request * * Joint distance of 5mm

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ADVANTAGES Please contact us for stock information. Custom colors are also possible on your request. • Toplayer is smooth or structured • Aesthetic characteristics of natural stone • Dimensionally stable, very suited for brickwork with thin joints (glue and thin bed mortar) • To assimilate without vertical joints