A striking new residential project in Bergen aan Zee, Netherlands, demonstrates how contemporary architecture can honor historical context while meeting modern sustainability standards. Villa BaZ, designed by AREA Architecture Research Athens, represents a thoughtful approach to coastal living that balances family needs with environmental responsibility.
The project transforms a 1952 house originally designed by architect N. Byl, along with several later additions, into a cohesive 500-square-meter family compound. Located in perhaps the most beautifully situated seaside village in the Netherlands, Bergen aan Zee is home to fewer than 400 residents living in relative isolation, surrounded by a 7,500-hectare Natura 2000 nature reserve featuring rolling dunes, heather fields, and pine forests.
The village's rich architectural heritage dates back to 1906 when Mayor Van Reenen and his wife founded it as a beachside outpost. The Zeiler family later commissioned renowned architect H.P. Berlage to design a large hotel-café-restaurant, whose international success attracted many artists and inspired the birth of the 'Bergense School' art movement. Unfortunately, during World War II, German forces demolished much of this built heritage, including the famous Nassau-Bergen hotel, to create clear fields of fire.
Today, most homes in Bergen aan Zee date from the 1950s and 1960s, and due to harsh coastal elements and fragile construction methods, many require replacement. However, this postwar architecture, neither valued nor protected, is rapidly being replaced by ostentatious villas with crude volumes that are too high, too thick, and feature flashy materials that threaten the village's beautiful simplicity.
To counter this trend, the architects designed Villa BaZ as an exercise in restraint. The design sensitively reworks the original house and later expansions into a new cohesive form while strictly adhering to existing contours. Subtle distinctions in materials and rooflines denote the shift from the original volume to later additions, creating visual harmony rather than contrast.
The main house features a façade of wooden slats and a traditional tiled roof, while the extension is clad with an iridescent sheet material that appears green when viewed straight-on and brown when seen from the side. The extension's roof uses simple corrugated sheeting that follows the main house's lines but with a flatter profile. A slim white roof edge, a recurring element in 1950s homes, connects these two parts into one cohesive whole.
The redesign transforms the property's program into a more compact volume. The existing holiday homes have been replaced by three independent studios, one for each of the family's grown children, while the main house was converted into a home for the parents featuring a central family room, conservatory, and wellness area. This arrangement ensures the main house remains a comfortable size for the couple while accommodating up to twenty people during family gatherings or celebrations.
Each studio is designed to function completely autonomously from the others and the main house, giving each family branch its own private oasis while allowing the spaces to be enjoyed by non-family members or friends. The studios are strategically set back within the boomerang-shaped floor plan, allowing for restoration of the original dune landscape.
Villa BaZ demonstrates exceptional commitment to environmental sustainability, constructed largely from bio-based materials and meeting the strictest BENG (Nearly Energy Neutral Buildings) standards. The structure employs solid timber construction for floors, walls, and roof, creating both structural integrity and environmental benefits.
The house maintains the authentic atmosphere of a beach house through its clever combination of modest materials. Floated screed floors pair with exposed timber structure to create a strikingly warm, natural interior, while exterior concrete retaining walls provide stability against the ever-shifting dune environment.
This coastal retreat embraces what the architects call "a new kind of quiet luxury," where the phenomenal ocean views and natural sunlight do most of the work in creating an exceptional living experience. Rather than relying on expensive finishes or ostentatious displays, the design finds luxury in simplicity, sustainability, and harmony with the natural coastal environment.
Completed in 2024, Villa BaZ serves as a model for how contemporary coastal architecture can respect historical context while meeting modern family needs and environmental standards. The project demonstrates that restraint and sensitivity can produce more meaningful results than flashy displays of wealth, offering hope for preserving the character of this unique Dutch seaside village.
