Refuge, Flanders (BE) 2008 by Wim Goes Architectuur

Every so often, works of architecture are produced that “try too hard”; fanciful forms negate their design purpose and excessive intervention with site become painfully obvious. Refuge in Flanders, Berlin demonstrates a simplicity that effortlessly unites the constructed with the environment. Designed by Wim Goes Architectuur for a private family, the extension of the home sits over a small body of water. To capture the waterscape and changing surface with every reflection, Refuge is semi-opaque, with vertical wooden grating as its façade. This solution allows the residents to sense nature’s proximity while experiencing some form of privacy within the home. A deck extends even farther out onto the water for additional enjoyment on those bright summer days.