House De Zonnehoek
| Location | 's Hertogenbosch | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | renovation | ||||||||||||||||
| Function | living | ||||||||||||||||
| Fase | excecution | ||||||||||||||||
| Client | private | ||||||||||||||||
| Collaborations |
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De Zonnehoek is a house from 1958 that has been incrementally modified by its original and only owners over the years. Four children were born (leading to an extension) and a folding camper was added (resulting in a garage). When the children moved out, health issues began to arise. The stairs became increasingly problematic, so an additional rear extension was added, complete with a bathroom and bedroom. The couple managed to live in De Zonnehoek until the end; the wife passed away first, and loneliness set in.
In 2022, Mijke and Rob purchased the house. It now requires a thorough renovation. The extensions are leaking, and mushrooms and mold are growing behind the many paneling pieces. The attic has been overrun by hundreds of mice, and rats have been living between the insulation panels in the side extension.
Rob and Mijke want to tackle this renovation properly. They envision a pleasant, beautiful living space with ample light and minimal energy use, all while minimizing negative climate impact.
We have designed a plan that preserves the main volume of the original house. The extensions will be rebuilt using timber frame construction.
We aim to use as many bio-based materials as possible, which is new for us. We consider it important to explore the climate impact differences brought about by using fewer and different materials. This is a challenge we are eager to take on. Many similar houses exist in the Netherlands, and we hope this case study will serve as an example for other private homeowners.
Fortunately, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel: Groene Bouwmaterialen is advising us on bio-based and vapor-open structures. This also ensures a healthy indoor climate (more on that later). The new facades will be clad with Dutch poplar wood (Peppelhout).
Rob and Mijke, both journalists, will turn this into a communication project. They will write a blog on our site about the renovation, sustainability, the CO2 impact of the construction, and other interesting aspects. Inevitably, some things will go wrong, which will make the blog even more engaging.
It will be an honest story, supported by data and infographics (by Ralf de Jong) to make the sometimes complex topics accessible to everyone.
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