Villa Wallé is our last 25-year story. It was our first home on Curacao that our agency designed. A design with lots of color and geometric shapes. The three-bedroom home was completed in 2000. The owners are still very happy with the design.
The house is situated higher than the street. The driveway goes up and you’ll reach the front door via stairs, which you can see clearly in some of the photos. The colorful facade is striking. We chose a warm, earthy tone as the base, complemented by accents of blue-purple and coral red—a subtle play on primary colors, which we found too harsh. The colors add depth, as they shift with light and perspective.
Open floor plan
We kept the floor plan as open as possible, meaning that no rooms are completely surrounded by other walls or rooms. The building is designed to maximize garden use, with an open floor plan and minimal barriers, allowing wind to flow freely through spaces.
The home has a spacious layout with high ceilings. There are ventilation holes at the top to keep the home airy, cool and comfortable. A striking detail is the round ventilation hole, one of the residents’ favorite details.
Further development
The owners have rented out the home for several years. Tenants have added things over the years, such as the canvas above the outdoor area. But the owners have always looked closely at adjustments, to keep the design intact as much as possible. Now they are back in the house, and they are going to continue the design in more details. For example, the benches by the pool will be painted in the same blue as some of the facade. After 24 years, the house could also use some renovation work, which will also be carried out next year.
During a visit at the end of November 2024, we received great feedback from the owners. They are very happy to live here again and still find the design timeless and powerful. Words of praise that we are very proud of. A nice ending to our 25-year series.
About the 25-years series
This year our firm celebrated its 25th anniversary. That is why we shared all kinds of projects in the Netherlands, Curacao, Saba, St. Maarten, Bonaire, Aruba and Statia. From a small toilet building to an immense hospital. From modern villas to traditional heritage projects. And from museums to office buildings. We are proud of our broad, interesting portfolio and the growth we have experienced as an architectural firm. It was very special to reflect on all the projects. We shared stories about projects that still need to be built and projects that have (unfortunately) already disappeared. Every project was special, and every project was created with great dedication and careful design. You can view all the stories via the button below.
With every project we have worked on as a firm, we try to make an impact. A building, no matter how small or large, can contribute to improving a neighborhood or sometimes even an entire island. What is striking in our work of 25 years is that we have always paid a lot of attention to enabling and stimulating encounters. Whether it is about meeting each other in the gallery of your social housing complex or about a terrace that can be used for lectures and events. Places of contact are essential in our buildings.
The projects we have highlighted are a representation of the local culture of the place. Especially the buildings in the Caribbean part of the Netherlands, are examples of contemporary Caribbean architecture. When you put them next to each other, you see that there is not one contemporary Caribbean architecture. But each building has elements and design choices that are tailored to the area. It remains a fun challenge to see how architecture answers to social questions and how you can use your design to give people a sense of belonging.
Of course, we have more projects than the ones we highlighted in the series. You can find them via the projects page on our website.
