Engel Architects is comprised of a close-knit team of highly experienced architects and building professionals specializing in architecture and interior architecture.

 

By providing a personalized service and through personal attention Engel architects bring projects to life. The architects engage in detailed discussions with both clients and builders to establish a shared project schedule, and by thoroughly reviewing each drawing to ensure clarity and understanding. The aim is to eliminate any surprises along the way. Engel Architects is a member of the BNA (Royal Institute of Dutch Architects).

 

 

ENVIROMENT // A Dream Coming True

 

Living in the wooded surroundings of Zeist is a dream for many people, a dream that actually comes true for some. In 2018, we were asked to design a residential house on a self-built plot in one of the most beautiful nature-inclusive residential areas in the country, where the forest literally reaches up to the doorstep. The clients’ wish was to have a modern, spacious family home connected to nature, where the wooded surroundings are strongly felt indoors as well. The house had to be equipped with all modern conveniences. Additionally, they desired a spacious open kitchen, a home office with its own entrance, an ample number of bedrooms, and above all, plenty of light and space.

 

DESIGN // Indoor-Outdoor Sensation

 

The house is designed as a composition of two asymmetric volumes of different heights, featuring a double gable roof with a sloping overhang. The absence of a mezzanine floor gives the bedroom and bathroom on the first floor of the lower volume an exceptionally generous height of over 5 meters. The sleek steel frames, combined with the masonry that continues from the outside to the inside, enhance the indoor-outdoor sensation on both the ground floor and the upper level. By incorporating corner windows, the visual connection to the outdoors is expanded, strengthening the relationship with the surrounding nature. Finally, the house includes a double garage with a carport.

 

 

MATERIALS // Warm and Modern

 

Despite its fairly traditional roof shape, the house has a modern appearance due to the use of long-format gray-fired bricks. The slender black steel facades further enhance this modern look. The application of oak wood on elements such as the garage, the large pivot front door, and the ceilings of the overhangs creates a beautiful contrast against the gray-toned masonry, giving the house a sleek yet warm ambiance.

 

 

PLAY OF LINES // In Harmony

 

A play of horizontal and vertical lines creates a playful composition. 
The elongated horizontal canopies thread the volumes together and provide balance to the predominantly vertical, stately main volume. An operable louvred roof in the canopy allows for sitting outside even when it’s raining, while also allowing the winter sun to penetrate deep into the house when opened. Various brickwork patterns, with bricks applied both horizontally and vertically, create a subtle division of planes in the facade. An ample chimney, featuring an indoor and outdoor fireplace, becomes an eyecatching element at the rear of the house, connecting the two main volumes.

 

 

ULTIMA // A work of art

 

The Ultima format is the most exclusive series of bricks we´ve ever produced. The series contains unique water-struck bricks with many details and exiting interplay of colours. All the bricks in the series have undergone an extensive production process in order to achieve their final expression. Their unique surface structure produces a striking, dynamic facade, rich in variation. 

 

 

EXPLORE // Discover the possibilities with Ultima

 

Would you like to explore more about Ultima?
When bold ideas, great craftmanship and exclusive materials meet, exeptional architecture emerge. Those occasions require bricks out of the ordinary. 

Discover the possibilities with Ultima:

 

ORDER FREE ULTIMA SAMPLES

 

 

About // Credits

 

BRICK 
ULTIMA CUSTOM COLOR
YEAR
2022
LOCATION
HOLLAND
ARCHITECT
ENGEL ARCHITECTS
CONTRACTOR
VAN BERKEL AANNEMERS 
AGENT
HEYLEN CERAMICS
IMAGES
ENGEL ARCHITECTS and 
STIJN POELSTRA FOTOGRAFIE & VIDEO