Villa Bavel

Villa
Bavel

This house, Villa H for short, was designed by Lode Havermans for himself, his family and their art collection. The residential programme, which is intrinsically less demanding, is organized around the art. With the exception of the bedrooms, bathrooms and toilet, the house has no internal doors. The living rooms, which occupy the slightly raised ground floor, look out over the garden and the woods through large, strategically placed windows; there are two openings per elevation. Apart from a void in one corner and the open well of the staircase, the house is horizontally oriented which, according to the designer/occupant is consistent with human perception. The bedrooms and bathrooms are on the upper floor. The facades are clad with bricks laid in English bond.
The house is not an experiment but an encapsulation of acquired know-how and experience, a craftsmanly work that is an affirmation of what its architect regards as the essence of the discipline.