Multiple Shapes, 96E, Van Zon, Country House, Altena, NL
The Land van Altena region of North Brabant is an island, surrounded by rivers and canals. With De Biesbosch National Park and the fortified town of Woudrichem nearby, it's definitely worth a visit.
Here, a country villa, designed by Kuin & Kuin Architects, features unique louvers. This was done by Sunshield, commissioned by Van Zon Realisatie in Wijk en Aalburg, the Netherlands.
The master bedroom window is located on the right side wall. This facade faces southeast, providing sun from sunrise until late afternoon. Fortunately, the louvers are adjustable.
The louvers in the bedroom form a vertical rectangle, except for the top meter, which ends in a triangular shape at the roof ridge.
For a good night's sleep, it's important to be able to effectively regulate incoming daylight and effectively block out direct solar heat. Furthermore, privacy is naturally important.
The owners can easily open and close the louvers with a remote control. Or in any desired position in between, which is infinitely variable.
On the other side of the barn house is a spacious living room, facing northwest. The overhang offers some protection from sunlight, but not enough.
Therefore, louver systems were installed in this overhang. The louver system in the center, a mirror image of the one in the bedroom, is flanked by a triangular system.
The interplay of the deep overhang and the louvers keeps the sun out of the living space while retaining daylight. The louvers are set at a fixed 45-degree angle here.
The residents opted for the 96-E louver, a 96 mm wide louver. When the louvers are fully open, the view between them is 90 millimeters.
The 9 cm increments offer ample daylight and a view, especially in summer when the sun is high in the sky. If you want to block out the sun in the summer, simply closing the louvers slightly is sufficient.
The aluminum parts, such as the louvers and supports, are coated in RAL 7021 with a fine texture. This texture gives the black-gray coating a tactile and visible relief and a matte appearance.
This project is created in collaboration with
Photo copyrights: The Art of Living magazine – Photography Veerle Verheijen
