References Categories Residences Villa Welpeloo
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Circle of life
In Roombeek, a suburb of Enschede in the Netherlands, 2012Architecten designed a house mainly built out of demolition materials and manufacturing residues. With the construction of Villa Welpeloo, the architects embarked upon challenging and, at the same time, permanent terrain. The villa can be summed up by the words “understated singularity”. In the suburb of Roombeek, the cubic building stands out from the surrounding houses with their gable and hip roofs. The two-storey building seems to have been constructed from several boxes of different sizes that have simply been pushed together and stacked. Its appearance is characterised by clear lines and the reduction to just a few materials. The closed façade areas are covered with a curtain-type construction comprising vertical boards and horizontal steel strips.
When choosing their materials, the 2012Architects remained true to their philosophy of using demolition materials and manufacturing residues wherever possible, sourcing these materials from within a 15-kilometre radius of the building site so as not to add to the carbon footprint by using long transport routes. A steel frame construction forms the support structure of the Villa Welpeloo with beams sourced from a textile machine from a neighbouring factory. Cable drums provided the wood for the façade; this was heat-treated to improve resistance to weathering. Many of the windows are made from glass waste from a local glass factory, whilst polystyrene offcuts from a neighbouring caravan manufacturer were used for the façade insulation.
The interior of the building is thus characterised by large windows and light surfaces that give a sense of proportion to the small dark areas or edges of the furniture. At first glance, the kitchen appears to be a brilliant white and, as all built-in cupboards, is made of erstwhile advertising billboards whose previous colourful existence is only revealed when opening the drawers or doors. The halogen lights have their own unique history: 2012Architects collected broken umbrellas from the surrounding neighbourhood and the lights are now suspended from their spokes. They integrated the sheer crane used to construct the house into the building itself, thus meeting the owners’ wish for a lift to transport larger exhibits to the first floor. The Villa Welpeloo is made from about 70% recycled materials. The new elements featured in the house include bathroom objects by Duravit, a manufacturer that scores points for sustainability thanks to its green production, durable quality and timeless design. In the villa’s bathrooms, the colour concept is reversed – black is the predominant colour. The dark tiles and synthetic surfaces made of recycled coffee cups create a strong contrast with the clear white lines of the Architec washbasins and the Starck bathtub. The toilets were designed by Philippe Starck.
Category
Private House
Architect
2012architekten
Year of Construction
2010
Location
Enschede, Netherlands
Details
The Villa Welpeloo is made from about 70% recycled materials
Website of project www.2012architecten.nl/projecten/enschede.html
Private House
Architect
2012architekten
Year of Construction
2010
Location
Enschede, Netherlands
Details
The Villa Welpeloo is made from about 70% recycled materials
Website of project www.2012architecten.nl/projecten/enschede.html