I am quite a fan of the use of traditional materials in modern buildings, like this rural house in Beekbergen, the Netherlands, by Factor Architecten. It’s cone-shaped, with some big expanses of concrete and glass contrasting with a huge curving thatched roof – a modern-day fairy-tale house in the forest. As in the UK, thatch has a tradition in the Netherlands going back centuries (it’s certainly the oldest type of roof covering still in use in Britain), but Dutch architects seem to be embracing it as a contemporary building material far more than in Britain. Maybe it’s something to do with cautious local planners, or fear of fire….?
housetrained. homes, interiors, domestic design 