De Vleugel
How do you translate a passion for classical music into a tangible spatial experience? For our award-winning project ‘De Vleugel’, we drew inspiration from the shapes, colours and textures of a grand piano. This unique extension in Groningen deliberately responds to today’s over-rationalised architecture and opts for poetic expression.
A young family from Groningen with two growing children found that their beloved 1930s corner house was starting to feel a bit cramped. With a floor area of 130 square metres, the house had simply become too small, and the layout proved impractical for the day-to-day life of a family. Moving away from their familiar neighbourhood was not an option, but the need for extra living space and a logical, functional flow was urgent.
Without intervention, the quality of life in this home would fail to meet the family’s needs. However, traditional extensions often result in rigid, block-like structures that actually block the connection with the garden rather than enhancing it. Moreover, a lengthy planning permission process normally causes months of delay and uncertainty, placing a heavy strain on family life.
Working closely with the contractor, we designed a bold solution that tackles these challenges. Within the planning-permit-exempt framework, we realised a high-quality and affordable 26 m² extension. By making clever use of flowing, rounded shapes, ‘De Vleugel’ now houses a light-filled sitting area, a play area, a storage room and an ingenious entrance hall that doubles as a cloakroom and utility room. During construction, we developed construction methods intuitively and pragmatically directly on site, reusing the old floorboards as a new ceiling.
The result is an open and distinctive living environment that is ready for the future. Thanks to the intuitive collaboration, the extension was completed in just six months. The sustainable extension thus offers the family a healthy living environment that once again provides plenty of space for the dynamics of everyday life. A result that was recognised with the People’s Choice Award at the Groningen Architecture Day.
Client particulier
Location Groningen, Nederland
Year 2016