Tafelberg heathland, Blaricum, North Holland, Netherlands
About this story
Studio Massimo replaced a derelict event venue on the protected Tafelberg heath with a bio-based office designed to operate as an extension of the terrain. The building reinterprets the regional plaggenhut, or sod hut, through a low profile and native planted roof that continues the heathland over the structure. Its primary structure uses CLT, laminated timber and FSC-certified wood, while the exterior is wrapped in poplar-bark shingles made from a timber-industry byproduct. Workspaces open toward the heath through extensive glazing and long internal sightlines. Rainwater is collected for irrigation and toilet flushing, and climate control incorporates a thermal-energy-storage system based on ice formation. Reused materials include former mooring posts, secondhand paving and repurposed crane chains.
Status and timeline
Design began in 2020, construction began in 2024 and the approximately 1,120-square-metre gross-floor-area office was completed in 2026.
Design highlights
“Form follows nature”; contemporary reinterpretation of the plaggenhut; architecture as added habitat; planted roof at heathland eye level; carbon-storing timber structure; poplar-bark rainscreen; concealed photovoltaics; ice-based thermal storage; visible rainwater chains and circular reuse of site materials.
