Villa Sint Oedenrode by RHAW Architecture Embraces Minimalism

This distinctive, elemental villa made of timber, glass and concrete, subtly elevated in the Arcadian Dommelvallei landscape, is the result of an equally characteristic partnership between the architect and the residents. Thanks to its straightforward, light structure and the exclusive use of untreated materials, Villa V is a textbook example of architecture reduced to its essence.

The villa is situated on the outskirts of Sint-Oedenrode in Brabant and was designed by RHAW architecture’s Rolf Reichardt, in partnership with the villa’s residents Marieke Jansen and Jaap Maas. It is a country house with a single-sloped shed roof and two different faces. On the entrance elevation, facing the road and surrounding farms, the façade is low and relatively shielded, to establish privacy. The southwestern Dommel elevation has an extrovertly tall glass façade, rhythmically intercepted by wooden panels which provide cool and shade, as does the distinctly extended roof.

Observing the villa from a distance the first thing that strikes you, is the combination of its Spartan simplicity in terms of materials usage and its free-flowing floor plan. Villa V is twenty metres wide and just eight metres deep and it has a magnificent view of the river. The utility rooms are located on the front side. Bedrooms and open kitchen are on the side facing Dommelvallei, as is the sunny patio that extends from one end of the villa to the other.

RHAW’s design language is reminiscent of the American West Coast modernism of the 1950s, but without its austerity. Villa V has a warm and serene aura thanks to its abundance of untreated timber which changes colour seasonally, along with the surrounding landscape. There is no paintwork, plasterwork, skirting boards, parquet floor or plasterboard: everything is untreated. There is no distinction between rough work and finishing.

For architect and RHAW founder Rolf Reichardt much of his oeuvre converges here on the banks of the Dommel. This feels like an honest house, everything is reduced to pure simplicity, with natural ventilation, consistent floor plan and affectionally selected materials. Using only what is necessary to maintain the house. This simplicity facilitates legibility, allowing you to experience both the interior and the surrounding landscape, without the materials or walls creating any obstructions.

The partnership with Villa V’s residents was excellent. The design resulted from frequent and inspirational consultations about the use of spaces and the selection of materials. The villa’s orientation was explored through a lengthy process of dragging folding chairs and a stepladder across the construction site to try out various perspectives.

The result is a welcoming and atmospheric family home at a dream location, with the promise of lazy evening dinners on the patio. But more than anything else, Villa V is an exercise in omission, in searching for a balance between choice of materials and the application of sustainable, timeless architecture in the beautiful Dommelvallei landscape.