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AR House
Amsterdam

For the AR House in Wieringerwerf, Amsterdam, one central question took the lead: how can an existing home be transformed into a comfortable living environment for the future, without saying goodbye to a place filled with memories? The clients, an elderly couple with decades of history in their village, consciously chose “aging in place.”

Over the years, the existing home had already undergone two extensions, causing the original volume to lose its cohesion. Adding yet another extension would only have amplified this effect. Instead, an architectural intervention was chosen to restore calm and unity. Both the new and existing extensions are clad in pre-greyed Platowood Fraké P05. This consistent material application creates a clear, cohesive distinction between the original house and the later additions, while allowing the whole to read once again as one family.

Please note: the Platowood Fraké cladding is pre-greyed, and the window frames and doors of this project are post-treated greyed.

The choice for Platowood Fraké seamlessly aligns with the clients’ wishes: a sustainable material with low maintenance requirements, suitable for long-term use. Through platonising – the hydrothermal modification process – the wood becomes dimensionally stable and low-maintenance, while retaining its natural appearance. In addition, it contributes to a pleasant thermal envelope of the home. The result is a façade that is not only aesthetically strong, but also future-proof.

In addition to the cladding, the window frames and doors are also executed in Platowood Fraké. This consistent application of the same material creates a powerful and calm façade appearance, in which details and main volume reinforce one another. The wood connects façade and openings into one cohesive whole and emphasises the warm, natural character of the home.

To enhance the friendly and warm character of the wood, the profiles are applied in a stacked configuration and the corners of the façade are rounded. This creates soft lines and the feeling of a continuous, embracing façade. The wood adds tactility to the volume and brings scale and humanity to the design.

Two large new sliding doors strengthen the connection with the garden and make it possible to experience all daily functions on one level, in direct contact with the outdoors. The new aluminium pergola connects the different extensions and covers the outdoor space. Its form continues as a roof edge along the side and front façades, embracing the garden with a subtle curve. A cast-in-place concrete column anchors the whole firmly within its surroundings.

The result is a forward-looking home in which comfort, sustainability and a love for wood come together – ready for the next phase of life, in the place that has always remained home.

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