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A Smart Home in the Netherlands by UNStudio

On the outskirts of a Dutch village in North-Holland, Netherlands, sits The W.I.N.D. House which is surrounded by both a wooded area and an open landscape. Realized by UNStudio, the home integrates sustainable ideas and home automation, making it feel like a house of the future.

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The complex design allows for flexible spaces and circulation that moves towards the exterior to focus on the green outdoors.

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They designed the house so that the private bedroom areas would be located towards the back of the house where the woods can provide extra privacy. The more public, living spaces are located at the front where there are floor-to-ceiling windows framing the panoramic views.

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Canopies hover over outdoor spaces to provide shelter. The sides of the house are mostly closed off for privacy from the neighbors.

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The interior’s open living plan is positioned on the top floor to make the most of the garden views.

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Referencing the shape of a flower, the four facades curve towards the center of the house creating petal-like wings.

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The carved out recesses bring extra light into the home while making it feel like the outdoors are blended right into the interior.

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A central staircase is open and provides circulation between the four, split-level recesses and connects the front and back wings.

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Solar panels on the roof harvest energy to run the household. A central air/water heat pump is there for heating/cooling and mechanical ventilation along with waste heat recovery. Each room has its own temperature control for the in-floor heating and cooling elements, which saves money.

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Tinted glass reduces heat gain while letting natural light to enter during the daytime.

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They installed a comprehensive home automation system which controls all of the electrical systems via a central, touchscreen in the living room.

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Interior photos © Inga Powilleit. Exterior photos © Fedde de Weert.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.