Farmhouse Wijhe | Paul de Ruiter Architects

In Wijhe, a village near Zwolle, The Netherlands, we designed the renovation of an old farm. We decided to rebuild the residence completely, maintaining the end walls and the foundation from 1611. Besides transforming the farm into a comfortable home, our main objective was to reinstate the farm in a sustainable manner .

Living on an excavated hillock
We wanted to set up a living area as spacious as possible. Therefore, we decided to excavate soil underneath the old farm to create a larger living space. By doing so we created a split level home with a living room under ground level and two floors above ground level.

A two-faced home
The client wished for a home where living and working are separated clearly. At the same time the house should feel like a unity. For that reason we gave both end façades a different function. The west end façade serves as a family entrance and connects the ground floor to the first level. The formal entrance is situated on the east end façade and provides access to the office.

Blending into the surrounding nature
We chose for a storey high glass façade over the entire length of the house, giving the feeling that the natural environment continues inside the house. The floor plan of the ground floor and the first level are completely open, which increases the incidence of light. We designed the bathroom on the second floor to make sure you can always enjoy a relaxing view over the surrounding nature.