Poplar Garden House by Onix Architects
Onix Architects have designed the Poplar Garden House in Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Description from the architects:
Close to the city centre of Groningen the allotment gardens of Tuinwijck are situated. This green oasis between the railway track and the Helperzoom offers the inhabitants of the city a low budget possibility to create the most eccentric gardens. It is an ecological allotment garden where the elderly as well as children, artists and so on can enjoy their time.
The gardens have an average size of 200 square meters and are rented out. On the lot, where gardening is primary, it is allowed to build up to 36 square meters. Sewerage, water and carboy are available. Power supply is only possible with solar batteries. This sunny lot is situated between the playground (South) and the ditch (North). These two different orientations were the reason to design two different outside areas. One is an introvert space, in the shadow of the apple trees, orientated on the ditch, and the other an extravert space on the creek garden and the playground. The condition of the soil (boulder clay) was the reason to choose for a creek garden. The water can drain away through the creek to the ditch. Through stepping-stones at the south side, the plank bridge can be reached, which at the eastern side of the house provides for a connection with the north side.
The house has a saddle roof, which is one of the types that you see a lot at Tuinwijck, the other type is the pent roof.
The volume has been formed so that the house embraces the two outside areas. It is a garden house as well as a shed and a sculpture. The house is completely formed by one plank size and is made from poplar wood. The window stills are made from planks as well as the foundation. The house is never finished. The planks are easy to take out so that in the future art can be integrated in the house.
Visit the Onix Architects website – here.
Photography by Peter de Kan
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Amanda Martin on 10 Nov 2011 at 9:18 am #
Very good wood work!
nrd on 10 Nov 2011 at 11:59 pm #
This would be perfectly beautiful if two thirds or more of those uprights were removed from those angled window walls. Introversion is all very well, but prison is what’s evoked.
There is something spiritual about a seamlessly glazed end wall in a pitched ceiling room. It’s a pity to waste that.
The use of timber is excellent. Total practicality and beauty combined.
JP on 11 Nov 2011 at 7:49 am #
I want to like this building, but I find it is lacking something. It just looks cold and hard, not something I would like to live in.