Team V Architecture has successfully completed Simmerhûs, a remarkable prefabricated holiday home on the Dutch island of Terschelling that challenges conventional notions of mass-produced housing. Despite being constructed from standardized, off-site timber frames that were transported on just three trucks and assembled on-site within three days, the 75-square-meter home maintains a distinctive, site-specific character through its innovative design approach.
The most striking feature of the compact holiday home is its playfully asymmetric roof, which serves both aesthetic and functional purposes. The roof, crafted from large, flat, rust-colored ceramic tiles hand-glazed by Royal Tichelaar, is unexpectedly rotated five degrees in relation to the floor plan, creating a subtle yet impactful visual effect. Eight solar panels, color-matched to blend seamlessly with the ceramic roof tiles, are discreetly integrated into the design, helping the house achieve an impressive A energy label rating.
"Nothing is standard in this home," says Do Janne Vermeulen, co-founder and director of Team V Architecture. This philosophy extends throughout the interior, where the playful asymmetry continues to create varied sightlines and creative perspectives. The interior design, crafted by Kranen/Gille, balances functionality with a serene, minimalist Japanese aesthetic, featuring wild pine veneer and ash finishes that enhance the home's natural appeal.
The innovative roof design creates practical benefits as well as visual interest. On the church-facing side, the gutter line runs parallel to the ridge, creating a varying overhang that provides different levels of protection and visual depth. On the opposite side, the gutter line diverges, producing a distinctive sloping roof edge that adds to the home's unique character and architectural sophistication.
Built by contractor Vreeker B.V., Simmerhûs represents a triumph of sustainable construction technology. The home combines prefabricated timber construction with comprehensive environmental features, including full insulation, triple-glazed windows, solar panels with power storage capabilities, an efficient heat pump system, and an innovative rainwater collection system that supplies purified water to both the house and its surrounding garden.
The project was commissioned by Dutch cultural entrepreneur Anne van der Zwaag, who has furnished the space with carefully selected art and design pieces from her personal collection. The home now serves as a unique vacation rental destination, offering visitors an opportunity to experience innovative architecture in a historically and culturally sensitive setting.
Recognizing its location in a culturally and historically significant area, Simmerhûs was designed to respect its surroundings through thoughtful architectural choices. The home's modest size, closed street-facing façade, and natural color palette ensure it integrates harmoniously with the existing landscape and architectural context of Terschelling island.
From the initial design phase through construction completion, the local community played an active role in the project's development, transforming the house into a living part of Terschelling's social and ecological landscape. This community involvement continues today, with local residents actively caring for both the home and its garden, reinforcing Simmerhûs's role as a shared, sustainable, and truly site-specific architectural asset that benefits the entire island community.
