Villa B

Villa B combines the robustness of the classical townhouse with the elegance and openness of the modernist bungalow. A house that defines the essential qualities of living by fully embracing the characteristics and the spirit of the site, the excitement for the architectural expression of space and the devotion to tactility and celebration of natural material. Entering from the street, the plan of the house is ‘Loosian’ and classic in its layout: a large central entrance with a monumental, refined stairway that connects all levels of the house. On either side, in symmetrical fashion, secondary functions. Behind the entrance, the reception rooms. Towards the garden, the house starts to unfold in a more ‘Miesian’ logic. The plan fully opens up into a series of glazed rooms that stretch out asymmetrically into the garden. The space flows freely from one room to the other, without visual interruptions. The living room, with its elegant fireplace, breaks the symmetry of the entire building by protruding into the garden. This introduces a diagonal play of views that breaks with the more classical composition present in rest of the house. On the first floor, a long corridor stretches out along the street facade, giving access to the bedrooms. Services are located in the mid section of the building, forming a clear strip of elegant enclosed spaces while maximizing the garden views from each bedroom. As on the lower floor, the logic of a coherent sequence from darker to lighter spaces is enhanced through a spatial sequence which ends in the large balconies with a river view. The second floor houses the pool and gym and boasts spectacular views over the river and the adjacent park. Water reflections blend the colors of the marble slabs and create an abstract and intangible space, while large glazed surfaces emphasize the continuity between interior and exterior. In the basement, the garage is designed as a large room with unconventional materials for its purpose: wooded walls and a natural stone floor. The curvilinear walls of the space form an ‘unicum’ compared to the orthogonal severe shapes of the villa: a dynamic and impressive entrance room or ‘rotunda’ for motorized access. Towards the street, the house presents itself as a symmetrical, imposing and monumental volume, structured in vertical slabs of ‘livre ouvert’ natural stone with fine brass lining. This facade is entirely closed, except for the solid patinated brass entrance doors and four marble panels on the first floor. These panels are motorized and can be opened, unveiling a singular large window that provides daylight to the corridor on the first floor. Towards the top of the house and towards the corners, the volume gradually steps back, creating a staggering volumetric corner detail which recalls a pre-modern syntax. The solid exterior of the house gradually opens up toward the garden, as the wall mass gets more and more interrupted by glazed openings. The garden facade expresses itself as fully horizontal, with transparent surfaces and opaque bands soaring into large overhangs overlooking the garden. The palette of materials for the exterior is limited to brass, glass and bronze Amani - a brown Spanish marble with white veins. The detailing of the facade is kept extremely clear in its lines and expressions, removing any element that suggests mechanical or technical movement, such as hinges and sliders. The natural stone continues onto the ceilings of the roof overhangs that face the garden, and extend into the villa to strengthen the seamless transition between interior and exterior. The clarity and monumentality of the facade facing the street mean that the house doesn’t require a wall and gate for privacy. The house stands free and fully visible on the street while at the same time offering full privacy on the interior. The garden is designed as a lush, natural string of trees and bushes that create an array of natural green spaces around the house. An old Japanese Acer tree stands majestically and asymmetrically in front of the imposing marble facade and creates a beautiful play of shadows on the sheets of natural stone. At the back of the house, the crowns of a casual group of Pinus Silvestris’ create natural answer to the stark horizontal lines of the balconies projecting into the garden.