living along a green canal
House in Utrecht
The new house in Utrecht is part of an ensemble of houses designed in 1827 by Jan David Zocher Jr. on a beautiful green canal, once the location of city walls with fortifications. The houses were built in neoclassical style. The typology of the ensemble is special because of the walled gardens between the houses. The new building replaces one of the garden walls, inserting itself self-consciously, contemporary and at the same time full of respect for its place in the ensemble.
| location: | Utrecht |
| design: | 2020-2023 |
| client: | J + N |
| structural engineer: | Goudstikker De Vries |
| advisor technical installations: | Trecodome |
| wood construction builder: | Jm Concepten |
| finishing contractor: | Bouwbedrijf de Wit |
| furniture maker: | Stumpf & Van Dongen |
| stairs: | Elmer Koopmans |
1827 plan Jan David Zocher Jr.
The clients occupied one of these spacious homes, whose garden had given way to a double garage. Because of the need for a smaller and more comfortable home, it was decided to sell the house and build a new, compact house to replace the garage.
On the ground floor are the entrance, a workspace for each of the two residents and some utilities. Upstairs are the living and bedroom areas. At the front, the upper façade detaches itself from Zocher's typology and manifests itself as an independent addition in the form of a large, angled glass section that offers full views of the canal's plane trees. This view provides ample compensation for the absence of a garden or roof terrace.
The contemporary façade is conceived as a reinterpretation of the historic garden wall – using contemporary means.
At the rear, the house adjoins an alley where, in contrast to the stature of the facades on the street side, there is a rather pleasantly informal messy imagery into which the rear facade of the house blends. Also included on this side is a small storage room and terrace that were sold with the house as an addition to the original house.
The rooms on the first floor have a cozy character due to the warm color and material palette, and the low ceiling height. The round perforations in the street facade not only provide the necessary privacy and daylight, but also allow natural ventilation directly on the street side without any hindrance.
Upstairs, a completely different world unfolds; through the high ceiling and the facade-wide facade, the house fully orients itself to its surroundings. From the living area on the street side one has a panoramic view of the canal and the beautiful monumental trees along it. The various spaces flow seamlessly into each other. By means of sliding doors, it is nevertheless also possible to create separate spaces when desired.
Seemingly random, yet strategically placed skylights provide additional daylight and give the heavy, solid wood roof a pleasant lightness, like a starry ceiling.
