Leiden House, Twisted Corner: Sophie Valla

Leiden House, Residential Developments Holland, Architects, Images, Building Project Photos

Leiden House: Dutch Residential Architecture

New Property in The Netherlands – design by Sophie Valla architects + Marc Koehler architects, Holland

15 Jul 2011

Leiden House – Twisted Corner

Design: Sophie Valla architects with Marc Koehler architects

Leiden House Leiden Residence
photographs : Luuk Kramer

New House in Leiden

In Leiden (Netherlands), private commissioning was chosen for the development of the residential area Nieuw Leyden on the former slaughterhouse site. For the house in the corner plot that the studio Sophie Valla Architects and Marc Koehler Architects were asked to design, the corner was chosen as starting point and inspiration. The end result offers the inhabitants an unexpected sense of space and changing views.

For this high-density area bordering the city centre, MVRDV in Rotterdam conceived a master plan based on a double ground level: closed building blocks on half sunken parking-lots. This allowed for a densely built neighbourhood, but green and with little traffic.

A common coordinator, contractor and advisors worked on each building block. Then each plot owner was able to design his house according to his own needs and wishes.

Leiden House Leiden Residence Corner House Leiden
photographs : Luuk Kramer

The house was built for a young family. From the beginning, the value of the corner position of the plot was fully exploited. The clients were extensively involved in the conception and building process, watching over and nourishing the tectonic quality of the design.

The lateral façade of the house ending the block presents an intriguing and dynamic play of lines and volume. This is brought about by shifts in the orientation of the façade at each of the three floors.

A ‘transformation’ of the geometry of the front and back façades over the length of this side is thereby created. Four supporting columns in the house are freeing the lateral façade from its load bearing function, enabling this free play.

The horizontal transformation is accompanied over the whole façade by a vertical articulation of the surface panelling and of the window frames. The high and narrow windows on this wall not only emphasise the vertical articulation; from the inside they also give clearly framed views while their form limits the possibility of looking in.

On the ground floor, bordered by a pedestrian street and the park, is a playroom for the children. The living space is on the first floor. The large window at the front looks into the park, creating a spacious quality inside and offering interesting perspectives to the park.

The tectonics gives the façade an intriguing movement and play of lines from the street and the park while creating a spacious quality inside and offering interesting perspectives to the outside.

Corner House Leiden Corner House Leiden
pictures : Sophie Valla architects

Materials

The clients of block 35 have chosen for a common building system with concrete stability walls and floors of precast concrete panels.

The lateral façade not being a load-bearing wall, a row of four columns was used to support the floors on this side. Steel reinforcement was also added in the floor panels at the level of the columns for extra support and particularly to compensate for the cantilever effect.

The façades were executed with prefabricated wooden frame panels.

Panels of Eternit in different shades of grey were used to cover the façades. The distribution of the greys accentuates the flowing transformation on the lateral façade and reduces the cutting loss of the Eternit to a minimum. The extra thick seams between the panels, as well as the heavily profiled wooden window frames, accentuate the vertical articulation of this façade.

Corner House Leiden – Building Information

Private house in Nieuw Leyden, Leiden
Address: Alexander Gogelstraat 6, 2316 DV Leiden
Client: Floor en Barry Pepers
Design: Sophie Valla Architects & Marc Koehler
Executive/project architect in phase 2: Sophie Valla Architects
Team: Wouter Hendrikson, Petr Ulrich
Construction advisor: Buro Broersma
Installations advisor: S&W, van Leeuwen
Contractor: KbK Bouw
Bruto surface: 233 m2
Netto surface: 122 m2
Completion: Feb 2011

Photos: Luuk Kramer

Corner House Leiden images / information from Sophie Valla architects

Location: Leiden, Netherlands, northern Europe

Architecture in The Netherlands

Contemporary Dutch Architecture

Netherlands Architecture Designs – chronological list

Dutch Architecture News

Amsterdam Architecture Walking Tours by e-architect

Dutch Houses

House IJburg, Amsterdam
Design: Marc Koehler Architects
House IJburg
photo : Marcel van der Burg (Primabeeld)
House IJburg

Dutch Architecture

New Houses

Dutch Houses – Selection

A Barn House in the Countryside nearby Donderen, province of Drenthe, municipality of Tynaarlo
Design: aatvos, architects
Donderen Barnhouse
image courtesy of architects
Donderen Barnhouse in Holland

Villa 1
Design: Powerhouse Company
Villa 1

Tea House on bunker, Vreeland
Design: UNStudio
Dutch Tea House

H House, Maastricht
Design: Wiel Arets Architects
H House Maastricht

Villa Berkel, Veenendaal
Design: Architectenbureau Paul de Ruiter
Villa Berkel

Villa Dali, Vroondaal, near Den Haag
Design: 123DV architecture & consult
Villa Dali

Borneo Sporenburg : Houses
Design: various architects including MVRDV
Borneo Houses

Villa Valk, Homeruskwartier neighbourhood, Almere
Design: Blok Kats van Veen Architecten
Villa Valk

Contemporary Houses

Dutch Architects

Dutch Architecture

Comments / photos for this Leiden House – Dutch Residential Architecture page welcome

Netherlands