Villa Bussum

This private residence, completed in June 2009, is situated in a lush, leafy neighbourhood in Bussum, a small town near Amsterdam. The neighbourhood is known for its 19th century villas, designed in a vast array of revivalist styles. The design for the villa by GROUP A appears both modern and sculptural, and interacts in a natural way with its surroundings. By using slanting walls and roofs the abstract building volume feels comfortably embedded in the landscape. At the same time, the villas sculptural character ensures that it fits in with the neighbourhoods monumental, sometimes even frivolous 19th century villas.
The villas building type evolved from a simple rectangular volume, with a rotated pitched roof. Subsequently, segments were cut from this volume in order to create windows, terraces, balconies and entrances. A cut-out corner facing the street in front of the house clearly indicates the main entrance. On the eastern side of the villa, a secluded garden and a second entrance can be found. A comfortable porch and a 15 meter wide panorama window face the garden at the back of the house, and double up as a transition between the villa and the garden.
Both gardens in front and at the back of the house are linked to each other by a sloping path. This descending path extends itself to underneath the cantilevering villa, thereby providing access for the basement floor. Thus, the villa appears to be floating on air.