TEAM V architecture completes Simmerhûs Island Home
On the Dutch island of Terschelling, Team V Architecture has completed Simmerhûs, a prefabricated holiday home that maintains a custom, site-specific character. Despite being constructed from a standardized, off-site timber-frame, which was transported on just three lorries and assembled on-site within three days, the house uses its playfully asymmetrical roof to blend prefabrication and sustainable construction with a home that is intimately connected to its surroundings. Eight solar panels, colour-matched to the ceramic roof tiles, are discreetly integrated into the roof, giving the house an A++ energy label.
‘Nothing is standard in this home,’ says Do Janne Vermeulen, co-founder and director of Team V Architecture.
Team V Architecture completes Simmerhûs on the Dutch island of Terschelling | all images ©Ossip van Duivenbode
ASYMMETRIC ROOF FOR PLAYFUL EFFECT
The compact 75m² holiday home by Team V Architecture Studio is defined by its subtle, yet striking asymmetry, leading to a highly efficient structure. The roof, made of large, flat, rust-colored ceramic tiles, each hand-glazed by Royal Tichelaar, is unexpectedly rotated by five degrees in relation to the floor plan. This playful effect continues throughout the interior, which balances functionality with a serene, minimalist Japanese aesthetic. Finished with wild pine veneer and ash, the interior design by Kranen/Gille offers varied sightlines and creative perspectives of the home.
the compact 75m² home is constructed from prefabricated timber frames
PREFABRICATED TIMBER CONSTRUCTION WITH HIGH ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Built by contractor Vreeker B.V., the home combines timber construction with full insulation, triple-glazed windows, solar panels with power storage, a heat pump, and a rainwater system that supplies purified water to both house and garden. On the church-facing side, the gutter line runs parallel to the ridge, creating a varying overhang, while on the opposite side it diverges, producing a sloping roof edge.
Commissioned by Dutch cultural entrepreneur Anne van der Zwaag, the home is furnished with art and design from her own collection and serves as a unique getaway available for vacation rentals. Located in a culturally and historically sensitive area, Simmerhûs respects its surroundings through its modest size, closed street-facing façade, and natural tones. From design to construction, the local community was actively involved, transforming the house into a living part of Terschelling’s social and ecological landscape. The community continues to care for the home and its garden, reinforcing its role as a shared, sustainable, and site-specific asset.
Kranen/Gille designed the custom interior, blending clean lines and minimalist Japanese influences