Dutch architecture firm HILBERINKBOSCH Architects recently completed a contemporary house known as Dune Villa in Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Netherlands. Using the scenic naturalness of F.L. Wright, the openness of Mies van der Rohe and the tactile materiality of Zumthor as references, the firm was asked to design a "living" house which fully adopted the qualities of the plot. The plot is composed of three areas: dense vegetation towards the street, a large open space at the front, and an open pine forest at the back. An offshoot from the Utrechtse Heuvelrug dune lays on the north side of the residence, resulting in the plot's characteristic six-meter height difference.

The main areas of the residence, such as living room, kitchen, office, master bedroom, roof terrace and library, are situated on the first floor which provides the best experience with the forest. The guest rooms and the pool are situated in the dune and on the ground level of the courtyard. The pool is enclosed on three sides with large glass sliding doors ensuring an outdoor feeling in the wintertime - in warmer periods it can be transformed into an outdoor swimming pool.

The color of the applied concrete is directly derived from the dune sand and seamlessly poured in one piece. Accents in the facades are made of vertical wooden slats of varying widths and colors, reflecting the lines of the forest. All the usual image-disturbing solutions such as expansion joints and metal trims have been left out, giving the building a sense of naturalness. Finally, the concrete floors throughout the interior have different finishes, from roughly sanded to highly polished depending of the character of the space.