Resilient Rubber & Fishing Net Holiday Home

On the island of Texel, located in the Netherlands, a holiday house is finished with some rather surprising materials: a black coloured liquid rubber and finishing nets.

A collaboration between Benthem Crouwel Architects and construction company Dekker de Vries, the frame of the house was constructed with prefabricated wooden components made in the carpentry workshop of Dekker de Vries.

All seams and joints between the prefab components were first smoothed with Liquid Rubber HB S-200 and the wall panels were then strengthened with a geotextile. Following this, the exterior was sprayed with a full layer of Rubber Liquid Spray Grade. As a material, liquid rubber is highly resilient and resistant to the elements. In addition to being extremely waterproof, it is also airtight, gastight and UV resistant, to name a few properties.

As a finishing element, the house’s exterior was covered with colourful fishing nets, a playful reference to the island’s fishing industry. The nets are arranged in two layers: first green, blue and red net, followed by another layer of black coloured nets.

An island known for its many sheep and fishermen, the client wanted a house that would fit into the unique landscape of Texel. The resulting form of the holiday house was inspired by Texel’s so called ‘schapenboeten’, small sheds used for the storage of hay and tools (rather than sheep). Much like the form of the island’s traditional sheds, the holiday house features a gable roof with a bevelled top section. The face of the house is oriented towards the southwest, the prevailing wind direction. And, following the local vernacular, the entrance to the house is located on the sheltered north east side of the building.