Canal House is a private home located on the Lauriergracht, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Completed in 2015, it was designed by Witteveen Architects.
Canal House by Witteveen Architects:
“Architecture is the intuition of organizing your home, the light, the air, and the space in harmony with yourself. This is the aim pursued by the architecture firm Witteveen Architecten in undertaking its projects; in this case, it has materialized through the refurbishment of Canal House, a beautiful house full of history, in Amsterdam.
This charming house, full of life and standing on one of the famous Dutch canals, has recently been refurbished by Houtwerk BV – a member of the HI‑MACS® Quality Club – who based their work on a design by architecture firm Witteveen Architecten. The excellent result is the product of the creative relationship between the new modern elements and the original typical characteristics of the interior.
The home is characterized by the spaciousness of its rooms, the feeling of freedom and movement and luminosity resulting from the whiteness of its walls with large windows. The presence of HI‑MACS® can be seen in most of the rooms, providing a touch of modernity to a space in which some of typical Industrial‑era brick walls have been preserved, combining old and new.
A large part of the customized designs for Canal House were created using HI‑MACS® Solid Surface material in its Alpine White shade. For this project, the architects opted for the clean, minimalist lines offered by this finish, which maintain uniformity throughout the house, at the same time as contributing a unique character to each space, differentiating it from the others.
Besides the excellent resistance, durability, and thermoformability characteristics of the material, HI‑MACS® offers architects and designers endless possibilities when it comes to choices of unique colors, effects, and textures – possibilities that range from combining colors in the form of dots or patterns, to translucent options that give impressive effects of backlighting.
A Bedroom that Makes the Difference
The master bedroom was built as an extension of the existing loft, which was renovated so that it would match the aesthetics and materials used throughout. HI‑MACS® was thus the perfect choice for lining the loft area in the bedroom, the full balustrade, and the doors with integrated handles. The clean lines of the room are the perfect complement to the soft, smooth feel of the acrylic stone, while the striking craftsmanship and high level of finish do justice to this building’s grand history.
An Integrated Bathroom
The matching bathroom, at the back of the bedroom, is literally “made” from HI‑MACS®, including both the floor and the walls, as well as the shower and bespoke sink with personalized basins.
Finally, the amazing integrated bathtub – where the walls combine perfectly with its structure – is the jewel in the crown. Once again, HI-MACS® was chosen as the ideal material due to its seamless joints and its excellent hygienic properties. Thanks to its non‑porous surface, the material does not absorb moisture, in addition to being waterproof. To fit this wonderful, luxurious bathroom, the floor was reinforced into order to support the weight of the customized bathtub.
The choice of materials creates a juxtaposition between the cutting‑edge elements made from high‑tech materials, and the industrial timelessness of the space. The final result is impressive and the visual contrast between the contemporary white and the original elements display a very interesting combination of styles. The entire design as a whole creates a feeling of a very welcoming home.”
Photos by: Herman van Heusden
