A new beginning

Philip and his family were looking for a place to build a house, not only for themselves but also for his parents-in-law. They wanted to live close together while each keeping their own space. During their search they found an available plot: an idyllic yard with potential for four homes. Located on the edge of Bunschoten in the wide polder, the plot offers a breathtaking panorama of islands and open meadows. The neighbouring riding school and the sight of horses, sheep, alpacas and the occasional bird of prey from a local falconry add to the rural charm of the location.

A balance between individuality and unity

After successful negotiations, an agreement was signed in 2020. Architect Michiel Blokker from Bunschoten took on the design of the homes. His design for four distinct houses strikes a balance between individuality and unity. Each house has its own character, while shared elements create visual unity, such as panels in the same type of wood for doors and windows. As there are no neighbouring houses, it was possible to integrate large windows, giving the residents an unobstructed view of the surrounding polder landscape. Each home has continuous windows at the front and back, from the ground to the ridge. The annexes are uniformly finished in dark anthracite, but the façade cladding varies from house to house. The roofing ranges from tiles to thatch, giving each house its own identity. The project was expertly built by Heijnen Bouw.

Philip in his own words

"For our facing brick, the architect drew inspiration from the Kolumba Museum in Cologne, a museum of religious art originally in the church of St Columba. It uses long, light grey facing bricks. At first we wanted exactly the same brick, but it was very expensive. At the brick merchant we looked at all kinds of alternatives from different suppliers. The 'Michael' facing brick from Joseph Bricks stood out immediately. This light grey, subtly blended linear brick caught our eye at once for its colour and quality. It was very useful that we could try out the samples with the pointing and bond on a test board. That gave us a better picture of the whole. The bricks were laid in random bond without perpends, with a light, subtle mortar colour. The Joseph Bricks brick is about half as long as the brick used at the Kolumba Museum. But when I saw the Kolumba Museum in Cologne recently, I found that the final result suited our house better. I also liked that this brick comes from Belgium, just like me."