Modern Recycled House in the Netherlands
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Ingrid Blans and Tjibbe Knol relax outside their home. The glass doorway features and etched poem by Dutch writer Willem Wilmink, who is also known for commemorating the firework disaster that ravaged the site ten years ago. Inside, a vintage shop display case exhibits a small fraction of the couple's collection of art and objects.Photo by: Mark Seelen -
The recycled builder's elevator is a practical touch, and allows easy transportation of artwork and furniture between floors.Photo by: Mark Seelen -
The kitchen frames a natural division between the public and private spaces of the house. The couple's private dining area features a round wooden table by Frank Bolink, and white chairs that are from Hema, a low-cost Dutch retailer.Photo by: Mark Seelen -
In the work space, custom shelving houses crafting materials (Blans is a keen needle woman) and objects, including toys from Blans's mother's childhood.Photo by: Mark Seelen -
A view from the main entrance, looking toward the kitchen, reveals part of the public space of the house. Blans bought the vintage glass display case from a retailer. Behind it, the early 20th-century Amsterdam school dining table, formerly her grandmother's, has been carefully restored. The stairs lead to the builder's lift, kitchen, and the couple's private living and work area.Photo by: Mark Seelen -
From the outside, the house appears as a composition of cubic volumes that barely hints at its reused nature. Expanses of glass, skylights, terraces, and balconies all strengthen the relationship between inside and outside and make the interior uniformly light.Photo by: Mark Seelen -
The cozy spare room filled with heirlooms is largely used by the couple's three young grandchildren.Photo by: Mark Seelen -
The facade is clad with 600 recycled cable reels. According to Jongert, "It took about seven minutes to dismantle each one, yielding quite a lot of wood each time." The wood was heat-treated at high temperatures, a natural weatherproofing technique.Photo by: Mark Seelen -
One of the original cable reels.Photo by: Mark Seelen -
Looking for a creative way to light Blans's painting collection, the architects collected old, broken umbrellas from Utrecht residents, and transformed them into whimsical and adjustable halogen lamps that latch onto the interior walls.Photo by: Mark Seelen -
A detail of the original umbrella frame that was repurposed.Photo by: Mark Seelen -
The cabinetry in the kitchen and elsewhere is crafted from discarded, chopped-up billboards. White paint camouflages their fronts, but when pulled open, their colorful sides offer a glimpse of their previous life as streetside advertising.Photo by: Mark Seelen -
The steel frame of the house was entirely recycled from mill machinery formerly employed in the region's textile industry, which has since declined. Leaving the steel skeleton visible in places, as here, makes a tangible link with local history.Photo by: Mark Seelen
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