Tom Kneepkens

Modern forest villa with large glazing and indoor-outdoor living

Glass takes the lead here. Between the trees, the house opens in long stretches of glazing, so the forest stays visible from deep inside the plan. The setting is green and dense, but the composition stays restrained: flat planes, slim frames, dark base elements and a rhythm of wood that breaks the mass into smaller parts. That first impression sets the tone for this modern forest villa with large glazing.

Rooms that stay close to the trees

The large glass walls do more than admit light. They extend sightlines across the terrace and into the surrounding greenery, so the boundary between interior and exterior feels open rather than sealed. In the images, the glazing lines up with covered outdoor zones and sheltered walkways, which gives the house a layered edge. You read the exterior first, then the space beyond it. That sequence is what makes the indoor-outdoor living aspect so clear.

Under the deep overhangs, the architecture shifts in tempo. Bright reflections sit against shaded sections, and the covered terrace becomes a threshold instead of a separate room. From one angle the glazing catches the garden; from another, the overhang compresses the view and frames it. The result is a house that uses openings, not ornament, to shape the experience of the forest edge.

Vertical wood slats set the pace

The vertical wood slat facade gives the house its most legible pattern. Narrow wooden members run in repeated lines, changing slightly in tone from one panel to the next. That variation keeps the surface from flattening out, especially where the wood meets the darker base and the concrete-like parts beneath the overhangs. The material reads as natural wood, but the arrangement is disciplined, almost measured.

Close-up images make the grain visible. You can see how the wood meets the structural edges and how the slats sit in front of the glazing, filtering the view without blocking it. This is where the modern forest villa with large glazing becomes more than a broad facade of glass. The wood gives the building a second skin, one that cuts glare, softens the mass and carries the eye along the length of the elevation.

Material changes are kept in plain sight

Hout, glas en betonachtige onderdelen are not hidden here. They are placed side by side so the junctions remain readable. A dark plinth anchors the house, while lighter overhangs project outward and mark the roofline. The contrast is strongest where the timber slats stop and the horizontal concrete-like bands begin. Those edges help the volumes stay clear, even when the surface is busy with reflections and shadow.

That honesty in the material transitions gives the project its calmest moments. Instead of hiding construction, the design uses it as part of the composition. The wooden cladding, the glass panes and the projecting slabs each have their own role, and the house relies on the relation between them rather than on decorative detail. It is a restrained way to work with natural wood materials in a forest setting.

Long overhangs and the shadow line they create

Seen from outside, the longest horizontal gestures are the overhangs. They extend beyond the glazing and throw a clear band of shade across the upper parts of the house. In daylight, that shadow line sharpens the facade; at dusk, it softens the reflections in the glass. The long overhang shadows are not a side effect but a visible part of the architecture, giving the elevation depth as the sun moves across it.

These projecting lines also protect the covered terrace and the corridor-like outdoor zones below. The overhang keeps the edge dry and legible, while the recessed areas underneath gather the light differently from the open garden. In some views, the sheltered strip reads almost like an outdoor room laid against the house, a narrow band where the facade, the roof edge and the paving all work together.

A covered terrace that extends the plan

The covered terrace appears again and again in the images, sometimes as a veranda, sometimes as a corridor, sometimes as a sheltered lounge. That shift in use is visible in the way the space is built: timber overhead, glass alongside, and a floor surface that runs straight to the outer edge. The architecture does not stop at the wall line. It pulls outward into a protected zone that can hold seating, passage and pause.

Inside that covered strip, the rhythm of vertical elements continues. Wooden slats line the sides and the overhead structure, so the terrace feels tied to the main building rather than added afterward. In one image the passage narrows toward a glazed end wall; in another, it opens to a wider seating area. Both versions show the same idea: indoor-outdoor living shaped by a sequence of covered transitions, not a single open deck.

Light, shade and evening reflections

At dusk, the house changes character without changing form. The glass starts to glow from within, while the slats and overhangs hold darker bands across the exterior. Shadows become part of the surface pattern. They fall between the wood members, across the terrace ceiling and along the concrete-like edges, turning the facade into a layered image of light and depth.

This is one of the clearest strengths of the project. The composition does not depend on one front elevation or one fixed viewpoint. It works in movement, as the eye moves from glazing to wood, from terrace to garden path, and from shade to reflected light. That shifting sequence keeps the modern forest villa with large glazing grounded in its setting while still giving the architecture a precise, edited edge.

The garden side reinforces that reading. A curving path runs beside the house, bending the landscape against the straight lines of the building. Leaves, paving and planted edges soften the base, while the strong horizontal roof line keeps the form controlled. The house is most convincing where these elements meet: wood grain, glass reflections, a dark foundation, and the wide cover of the overhang all held in one measured composition.

What stays with you is not a single gesture but the way the parts connect. The vertical wood slat facade gives the exterior its rhythm, the large glass walls keep the forest present, and the sheltered outdoor spaces make the threshold between inside and outside feel active. It is a clear example of modern forest villa with large glazing translated into built form: not loud, not overworked, but shaped by openings, shade and material contrast.

Read more

Want to see more of Tom Kneepkens? View the page of Tom Kneepkens for even more great projects and company information.

Want to know more?

Ask Tom Kneepkens your question

Visit website
Tom Kneepkens
Tom Kneepkens
Show more Contact
Cottage,House,Housing,Interior Design,Vegetation,Chair,Cabin,Cabin In The Woods,Outdoors,Woodland, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Backyard,Nature,Outdoors,Yard,Interior Design,Wood,Hardwood,Stained Wood,Gate,Fence, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Path,Sidewalk,Backyard,Nature,Outdoors,Trail,Grass,Park,Garden,Housing, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Pre sale

NEW 2026 Jubileum Edition The Best Interior Designers Benelux

Uniquely Numbered • Anniversary Edition • Limited
Order Now €125
Interior Design,Nature,Outdoors,Yard,Backyard,Housing,Plant,House,Garden,Wood, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Plywood,Wood,Indoors,Interior Design,Furniture,Windowsill,Hardwood,Drawer,Cabinet,Stained Wood, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Wood,Gate,Door,Folding Door,Interior Design,Outdoors,Nature,Yard,Hardwood,Stained Wood, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Indoors,Interior Design,Wood,Hardwood,Stained Wood,Housing,Porch,Tree,Outdoors,Nature, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Pre sale

NEW 2026 Jubileum Edition The Best Interior Designers Benelux

Uniquely Numbered • Anniversary Edition • Limited
Order Now €125
Indoors,Interior Design,Person,Hardwood,Stained Wood,Wood,Hallway,Shoe,Walking,Corridor, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Indoors,Interior Design,Couch,Furniture,Living Room,Home Decor,Cushion,Housing,House,Outdoors, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Indoors,Interior Design,Door,Floor,Chair,Dining Table,Table,Wood,Housing,Wood Panels, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Furniture,Table,Dining Table,Tabletop,Dining Room,Wood,Chair,Interior Design,Boat,Plate, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Pre sale

NEW 2026 Jubileum Edition The Best Interior Designers Benelux

Uniquely Numbered • Anniversary Edition • Limited
Order Now €125
Nature,Outdoors,Yard,Interior Design,Backyard,Picket Fence,Wood,Housing,Stained Wood,House, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Housing,Cottage,House,Porch,Plant,Deck,Interior Design,Outdoors,Cabin,Villa, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Indoors,Interior Design,Plant,Potted Plant,Lamp,Chair,Furniture,Wood,Table,Dining Table, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Interior Design,House,Housing,Villa,Plant,Pool,Water,Chair,Outdoors,Swimming Pool, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Pre sale

NEW 2026 Jubileum Edition The Best Interior Designers Benelux

Uniquely Numbered • Anniversary Edition • Limited
Order Now €125
Interior Design,House,Housing,Porch,Deck,Outdoors,Backyard,Plant,Person,Villa, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Housing,Interior Design,House,Villa,Door,Porch,Deck,Cottage,Cabin,Scenery, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Interior Design,Housing,House,Villa,Porch,Backyard,Nature,Outdoors,Yard,Deck, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Outdoors,Shelter,Backyard,Nature,Yard,Housing,Grass,House,Indoors,Interior Design, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Pre sale

NEW 2026 Jubileum Edition The Best Interior Designers Benelux

Uniquely Numbered • Anniversary Edition • Limited
Order Now €125
Interior Design,Wood,Hardwood,Stained Wood,Nature,Outdoors,Yard,Fence,Gate,Backyard, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Indoors,Interior Design,Door,Balcony,Folding Door,Wood,Railing,Gate,Scenery,Lighting, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Pre sale

NEW 2026 Jubileum Edition The Best Interior Designers Benelux

Uniquely Numbered • Anniversary Edition • Limited
Order Now €125
Want to know more?

Ask Tom Kneepkens your question

Visit website
More inspiration
welson luxe buitenzwembad,Pool,Water,Villa,Housing,Building,Outdoors,Swimming Pool,Grass,Plant,Yard, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Welson
Outdoor swimming pool villa Spaarnwoude
Modern facade of a luxury villa ,Mansion,Housing,Building,House,Villa,Plant,Grass,Hedge,Cottage,Outdoors, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Friso Woudstra
Vorden
No Featured Image set
Aerdenhout Villa Construction and Construction Management
Villa Amsteldijk Italian villa on the Amstel
Next project by Tom Kneepkens
Luxurious living room in earthy tones,Furniture,Table,Housing,Building,Coffee Table,Indoors,Couch,Room,Condo,Rug, Luxury, Design, Exclusive, Modern, Custom Made, Special, Beautiful
Tom Kneepkens
Modern villa with Natural Stone and Glass
Visit website