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House as a Rock by Global Architects

In the Westlandse Zoom dunes in the South of Holland, Global Architects were hired to design a minimalist modern house in this beach locale. House as a Rock becomes a sculptural form that materializes out of the dunes just like a rock would, hence its name.

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A traditional gable roof was eliminated and instead, the house and roof join together giving it its modern look. A light sand color was chosen for the brick to give it that rock-like appearance and so that it would blend in with the dunes.

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The four sides of the house each have a different look, two of which display a cut-out close to the roof. The south side of the house opens up towards the water to offer beautiful views.

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The living spaces on the south side feature large windows that bring the feeling of the outdoors in, no matter the time of year.

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The interior is just as unique at the exterior as each space is completely different. Even the windows are all different sizes.

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The light wooden floors from Dinesen Floors have a slightly weathered feel, grounding the large open spaces with white walls.

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To make the house more sustainable, they installed 2 x earth thermal ground heat pumps 135 meters deep to help the house be more CO2 neutral. They used insulation with a higher value than recommended, a solar heater, and low temperature heating and floor cooling.

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Photos by Mirko Merchiori.

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.