A dream home addition puts old and new side by side

Sarah Tolle – Homify Canada Sarah Tolle – Homify Canada
Woonhuis Laren, Maas Architecten Maas Architecten モダンな 家
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This countryside farm was a bit too small for its residents before the architects from Maas Architecten entered the scene. The original building had no lack of charm, but as a simple, rural construction built decades earlier, it certainly lacked the modern convenience of sheltered outdoor area so that residents could enjoy more of their countryside haven year-round. 

This dream addition brought an entirely new dimension to this home, offering not only a beautifully modern and sunlight space for lounging about in the sun's rays, but also a functional area for storage, work, and sleep.

Old and new

A single glance will reveal where the old structure ends and where the new structure begins. In this project, the architects abolish any attempt to make the modern addition match the old one in terms of materials, with a polished glass facade sitting in stark contrast next to its rustic brick neighbor. However, the architects have taken care to provide a visual extension of the existing structure's shape, mimicking the home's gable-less, chalet-style roof in the profile of the new addition. A small triangle in the middle serves as a sort of visual bridge between these two adjoining structures.

​Side view

A lateral view reveals the impressive depth and height of this new addition, which has practically become a separate home in and of itself. It's form is simple and elongated, adopting the shape of a shed or barn – a highly appropriate choice given the farm setting.

​Back view

The side that faces the backyard places a clear emphasis on attaining an uninterrupted, seamless view of the yard, with an enormous, singular pane of glass that spans the height of two stories. A smaller window placed on the fight creates the effect of a mirror image, one that corresponds to the small window in the older half of the building. This unique view offers a visually rich experience with a rare side-by-side comparison of old and new.

Find another modern barn-style home in this ideabook: This beautiful barn style home deserves the accolades!

​Interior

A tour of the interior of this addition is almost unnecessary, given that you could walk around the outside and easily view the interior furnishings through the large array of floor-to-ceiling windows! The architects have truly created an experience of being in a sheltered pavilion, with the ceiling of the home appearing as the type of awning you might see stretching over a picnic area at a park. The interior is simply decorated, with nothing on the walls but the beautiful and ever-changing imagery of the countryside.

​Playful details

The colour scheme speaks of a more playful attitude, with an unusual orange sofa resting beneath an bold abstract painting. But this room is playful in more than just its colour scheme: take note of the metal coffee tables on the left, and how they appear to pass through the glass walls of the home as they increase in height to the largest table, placed outside of the wall. Clearly, a sense of humor is at work in this design, playing with a sense of connection to the outdoors in a very literal way.

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