B2A Architects uses concrete columns to elevate Dutch home above dyke

Dutch studio B2A Architects has completed Cascade, a home in the Netherlands that is elevated above a dyke on a stepped concrete platform.

Located outside the village of Herwijnen, the 250-square-metre home is situated on the waterside of a dyke, rather than the landside, meaning the site is vulnerable to flooding.

In response to this, B2A Architects raised the Cascade's gabled form on a stepped, table-like concrete foundation, perched on eight columns.

"Houses built on the waterside are usually raised on massive plinths to protect against flooding," B2A Architects told Dezeen.

"Our client, however, wanted a different approach: a subtle, intimate, and introverted house, rather than a large, monumental dike house," it added.

"By elevating the house on eight columns, we kept the space underneath open for water to flow freely, allowing the landscape to absorb high-water events."

The stepped form of Cascade's foundation is reflected in the home's interior, where the ground-floor spaces "cascade" down the site via a series of stepped concrete floors.

A small external stair leads up to the home's entrance. Here, a utility space and bathroom step down into a kitchen area and, beyond that, a living space that overlooks the landscape through a full-height sliding glass door.

Upstairs, Cascade's bedrooms and study sit around a larger bathroom, with a wide corridor offering glimpses down into a double-height portion of the living areas below.

"The sunken living room creates an inviting space to enjoy the surrounding scenery with floor-to-ceiling windows facing onto the natural landscape," B2A Architects explained.

"Sets of stairs at the front and rear of the home allow for easy movement from the top level down to the expansive dyke landscape exterior," the studio added.

The home's entire exterior is clad in shiplapped baked ceramic tiles in shades of cream and grey to match the shade of its concrete foundations.

A parking space is tucked beneath the home's base, surrounded by the concrete columns, each rotated 45 degrees. According to the studio, this creates a "delicate play of shadows".

Inside, Cascade's predominantly grey palette is warmed by exposed timber ceiling beams, wooden cabinets and a datum of terrazzo tilework in the bathrooms.

Other residential projects in the Netherlands recently featured on Dezeen include Shadow Barn by Studioquint, the extension of a traditional brick farmhouse with black timber-clad living spaces, and Hidden Villa by i29, which incorporates a double-height courtyard.

The photography is by MWA Hart Nibbrig.

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