A dark line of thatch sits above white rendered walls, while large glazing opens the house to the garden and pool. The first impression is not one of excess, but of measured contrasts: smooth plaster, aluminium frames, cedar-clad doors and a roof form that softens the profile. The result is a modern thatched villa that reads clearly from the driveway and becomes more layered once you move closer.

White walls, cedar doors and a roof that settles into the trees

The white rendered facade gives the volume a clean edge, but the materials do not stop there. Long window openings and aluminium window frames cut through the exterior, while Western Red Cedar on the doors adds a warmer surface at key entries. Aluminium overhangs keep the roofline visually sharp, and the adjustable louvers are set in the same colour as the frames, so they sit back instead of competing with the glazing. Even the rainwater pipes are folded into the wall surface, which keeps the elevations calm and uncluttered. The thatched roof lifts and bends with the volumes beneath it, giving the house a profile that feels shaped rather than simply built.

Detailing that keeps attention on the volume

From the front, the large glazing and long brickwork bands give the villa a more formal face. The glazed opening to the cellar is covered with a glass plate, a small but visible decision that keeps leaves and debris out while preserving light and air below ground. Triple glazing is used in the aluminium window frames, which adds depth to the window sections and makes the openings read as substantial parts of the composition. These are not decorative gestures. They are the quiet parts of the project that hold the whole exterior together.

An organic garden at the edge of the forest

The garden changes the pace immediately. It runs along the forest edge and is shaped with soft lines rather than straight garden rooms. An outdoor pool sits beside a pond, and the water surfaces pick up the trees and the sky in different ways throughout the day. Around them, several seating areas are placed to face either the garden, the water, or the house. The terrace zones are close enough to the villa to feel connected, but far enough apart to allow the garden to keep its own rhythm. Lawn, paving and planting are used with restraint, leaving the water and the roofline as the strongest visual elements.

A garden room with sauna and fire

Next to the outdoor shower stands a garden room that turns the landscape into a place to stay longer. Inside, a sauna and a fireplace share the same space, so the room works as both a retreat and a viewing point. The fire is positioned where people can sit around it and look out toward the wooded setting. Through the glazing, the surrounding trees remain present even when the doors are closed. It is a small building, but it changes how the whole garden is used, especially in relation to the pool and the pond beside it.

Ceiling-high windows and rooms set up around light

Inside, the ceiling-high windows pull daylight deep into the plan. The living kitchen, seating areas and dining space all open into broad views, and the scale of the window heads gives the interior a strong vertical rhythm. The rooms are not decorated with many gestures; instead, the finishes work through proportion, reflection and line. An acoustic ceiling is used in the cinema and also in the living, kitchen and dining areas, which gives these rooms a visually quieter upper plane. The effect is easy to notice in the photographs: light, shadow and furnishing read against a clear background.

The home cinema adds another layer to that interior story. It is equipped with surround sound audio and sits among the larger living zones rather than as a hidden afterthought. Nearby, an open fireplace and built-in storage appear in the same visual field, so the room feels organised by the wall surfaces rather than by loose furniture. The house uses the same strategy elsewhere: keep the volume open, then let custom elements hold the space in place. That approach is visible in the dark cabinetry, the recessed lighting and the broad openings to the garden.

Beton steps, oak cladding and a clear route through the house

Solid concrete stairs, finished with oak, create a grounded transition between the levels. One staircase leads upstairs to a bedroom where a steel-framed opening looks straight into the garden. The other goes down to the basement, where a fitness space and technical rooms are located. This vertical route gives the house a clear section, not just a plan: sleeping above, movement through the middle, and the practical functions below. The materials stay consistent as you move, so the stairs feel like part of the architecture rather than a separate object.

Wellness, technical rooms and the hidden systems behind the calm surfaces

A ground source heat pump and fully mechanical ventilation are part of the technical setup, but they stay in the background of the visual story. What stands out instead is how the house keeps its surfaces composed while relying on those systems beneath them. The basement opening with its glass plate, the integrated rainwater discharge and the concealed framing all support that same idea. Nothing is overdrawn. The building shows enough of its construction to make the material choices legible, then lets the rooms, the glazing and the garden carry the rest.

The most memorable moments are the ones where the house opens wide: through the large glazing to the terrace, across the pool to the pond, or from the bedroom toward the trees. Even in the interior images, the villa keeps returning to the same language of surfaces and openings. White walls, dark custom joinery, aluminium frames and the thatched roof give the project a clear identity, while the organic garden and garden room soften the transition from house to landscape. It is a carefully composed setting, but the strongest impression comes from the visible details rather than from any grand gesture.

Contributors listed in the project material include the architect, installation teams, painter, thatcher, window supplier, pool specialist, cabinetmaker, fireplace supplier, chimney specialist and interior door supplier.