Tiny Tuinhuis

House and Garden, hardware and software, two concepts that strengthen each other. Inside and outside become one experience by the erasure of the boundary between the two.

The small house is situated in the middle of the plot, creating a front and back garden which stress the concept of a house and garden being one experience. The front garden is designed as a flower garden, subject to the change of seasons, and mixed with timeless perennials. The back garden begins with lush vegetation and transitions into a vegetable and herbs allotment. Terraces of different sizes and paths are covered with pebbles.

The construction of the house is based upon an aluminum greenhouse. Three of the facades are to be opened by sliding doors. The fourth facade towards the public path is partly closed with aluminum sandwich panels. The silver curtains, an ingredient also taken from the greenhouse industry, follow the facades and give the opportunity for different views into the garden. One is able to orchestrate and control the views towards the inside as well as the outside.

Budget materials and cultural experiences are mixed within the small space of the house, which measures only 26m2 of the overall space of the garden, which is 300m2. Due to the small surface of the house, it is treated as one loft-like space with a bathroom placed in the middle acting as a core. Relaxing and sleeping are possible on elevated tatami mats. The entirety of the interior is treated as furniture in timeless material combinations of dark greys, silver, smarald green betonplex and browns in oak wood and leather. Color is introduced into the space from the views of the garden and accessories such as cushions, blankets and carpets on the tatami-mats.

Interview with Freyke Hartemink on The Black Glass House in De Architect