Client: Private
Program: Residential

Status: Completed

Emmastad, Curaçao

2013

We designed this villa in Emmastad. We approached the project as if it was a registered monument.

Background

Between 1945 and 1955, Emmastad was enlarged with residential neighborhoods for the Dutch employees of Royal Dutch Shell. The houses constructed during that period, were luxurious free standing villas within a gated community. Nowadays it’s a popular neighborhood that is no longer segregated. In 2011 the client approached us with a request for a thorough renovation and restoration of the house to make it part of the modern Caribbean architecture.

Materials

Our approach was to treat the property as if it was a monument. So we kept parts of the original building. The house has a steel supporting structure. When analyzing the house we were amazed by the full steel frame structure, even the battens of the roof were made of steel. Some new elements have been added to and around the house. Inspired by the steel structure – and the glass house by Philip Johnson – we designed the additions also in a steel.

Pool area

The backyard was complete remodeled with a lot of attention for making it a green environment. It is now a green room surrounded by the living area and the new pool area.

Gallery