We translate the program as a large house that is open to the neighborhood and offers security to its users. A house with many rooms in which each resident can find their own place without having to cut themselves off from the group. We apply this to the existing villa, tailored to the size of the rooms. The existing spatiality forms the basis for the new plan, retaining qualitative rooms and connecting new rooms to the existing circuit.

Four clear interventions guide the renovation:

1. compact plan

We build only on existing paving, this results in a compact floor plan that nestles around and onto the existing villa. The house will have a limited footprint, thus avoiding building on flood-prone land and maximising the garden.

2. central void

A large central void brings air and light into the house and eliminates the strict separation between day and night zones. It forms the heart of the house, from where all rooms are connected. The void acts as a connecting element and accompanies the daily rituals, from getting up, washing and having breakfast to reading a book and sitting at the table together ... from getting up to sitting at the table together. The room model is reflected in both the floor plan and the cross-section, with a double-height space that connects to the activities on the upper floors. This layout is inspired by historic homes such as Ham House in London and the villas by Van de Velde.

3. efficient circulation

A new central stairwell provides efficient access to all rooms. The old stairwell space is used for a new lift that connects to the stairwell. The staircase is compartmentalised but through interior windows on the landing and open swing doors, circulation remains an actively involved part of the home.

4. new floor

On top of the current structure, we build a new bright floor under a pitched roof, with a similar layout to the underlying plan. The new void is extended into the roof, connecting bedrooms indirectly to the living spaces.

The house offers residents the freedom to decide how close they want to experience the presence of a caregiver or fellow residents. Some residents need direct proximity, while others prefer a more independent way of living. Both the plan and the cross-section of the building reflect this variation in proximity. The architecture acts as the spatial translation of a functional and domestic concept.