Located on the threshold between the urban fabric of Abcoude and the expansive Dutch landscape, the Foxhole Residence by Studio Vincent Architecture engages directly with the complexities of edge conditions. Positioned within the newly developed “De Winkelbuurt,” the project is neither wholly suburban nor entirely rural. Instead, it mediates these contexts through architectural form, spatial sequencing, and environmental performance.
Foxhole Residence Technical Information
- Architects1-10: Studio Vincent Architecture
- Location: Abcoude, Netherlands
- Project Years: 2020 – 2024
- Photographs: © Jeremy Piret
The spatial pause between them serves as a kind of exhale, filtering the shift from public street to private garden.
– Studio Vincent Architecture Architects
Foxhole Residence Photographs
Spatial Continuity and Interior Ordering
At its core, the project consists of two distinct yet interdependent volumes: the main house and a smaller entry structure. These elements bracket a private courtyard that serves as an intermediate threshold between the public realm of the street and the domestic interior. The entry volume is entirely opaque from the exterior, functioning as both a buffer and an architectural device that structures arrival. Its closed façade is punctuated by large pivoting doors that, when opened, unveil a secluded garden beyond. This choreography of concealment and revelation foregrounds the architect’s intent to shape spatial experience through calibrated transitions.
The site strategy enhances this intention. By setting the building back from both the street and an adjacent waterway, the architects introduce a generous entry sequence that is at once spatially expansive and programmatically reserved. This distance provides not only a degree of privacy but also positions the house to optimize daylight, particularly capturing the long, low light of Dutch sunsets. Toward the neighborhood, the pitched roof form gestures toward vernacular typologies, maintaining a dialogue with the scale of neighboring buildings. In contrast, the house’s western edge presents a more abstract profile, engaging the open landscape with a form that is geometrically nuanced yet formally restrained.
Inside, the spatial strategy departs from conventional compartmentalization. The ground floor is organized around a large, multi-sided cabinet rather than traditional load-bearing walls. This intervention defines zones without compromising visual continuity or spatial flow. The kitchen, directly visible from the entrance, anchors the ground floor both physically and programmatically. Its central placement underscores the social dimension of domestic life. Adjacent dining and living spaces are articulated with large sliding windows that open to the garden, reinforcing the architectural objective of continuity between interior and exterior.
Material consistency supports this spatial logic. Built-in furniture and wall finishes are calibrated to the proportions of the human body, contributing to a sense of scale and coherence. Rather than relying on decorative elements, the architecture achieves richness through alignment, proportion, and the careful joining of elements. On the upper level, the roof structure is left legible, allowing natural light to modulate the compact rooms below. This openness above counterbalances the containment of the spaces, contributing to an overall sense of lightness and expansiveness.
Foxhole Residence Environmental Strategy
The material strategy extends beyond aesthetics into performance. The exterior is clad in Thermowood, chosen for its durability and tactile presence. Fenestration systems by Schüco and sliding elements by Tudor maintain thermal efficiency while maximizing transparency where needed. Exposed steel components, concrete flooring by Beton Reform, and integrated natural stone details reflect a commitment to durability, low maintenance, and a restrained material palette.
Crucially, the environmental performance of the Foxhole Residence is not an afterthought but a design generator. Twenty-six solar panels are flush-mounted on the roof, ensuring energy production without disrupting the architectural profile. The building’s orientation and window placement are carefully calibrated to reduce heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter. A combination of extra thermal insulation, a heat pump system, localized air conditioning, and a heat recovery ventilation strategy results in a high-performing, low-energy dwelling. Importantly, these systems are not simply added technologies but are seamlessly embedded into the architectural logic of the house.
A Quiet Recalibration of Domestic Architecture
The Foxhole Residence exemplifies an approach to residential architecture that prioritizes spatial richness, formal clarity, and environmental intelligence. Studio Vincent Architecture resists the temptation of expressive forms or surface-level complexity. Instead, the project achieves depth through careful calibration of space, light, material, and environmental response. In a context often dominated by generic suburban typologies, the Foxhole Residence offers an alternative model; an architecture grounded in specificity, restraint, and a deliberate engagement with its setting.
Foxhole Residence Plans
Foxhole Residence Image Gallery
About Studio Vincent Architecture
Studio Vincent Architecture is an Amsterdam‑based practice founded in 2017 and led by Vincent van Leeuwen. Specializing in residential and high‑end interior projects, the atelier favors architectural clarity, landscape integration, craftsmanship, and wellbeing to create what it terms “timeless future heritage.”
Credits and Additional Notes
- Structural Engineer: De Ingenieursgroep
- Contractor: Bouwbedrijf Bon
- Windows: Schüco (Supplier: Derks en zn)
- Sliding Window: Tudor
- Wood Cladding: Thermowood
- Steel Elements: Van Saahne las- en constructiebedrijf
- Exterior Skirting: SVK
- Stairs: Decotrap
- Natural Stones: Cortlever Agricola
- Concrete Flooring: Beton Reform
