Ben van Berkel (born 1957) is a Dutch architect;

founder and principal architect of the architectural

practice UNStudio. The firm was established by
Architect Ben and his wife Caroline Bos in 1998.
Ben van Berkel studied architecture at the
Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and at the
Architectural Association in London and received
the AA Diploma with Honours in 1987.
With his studio he designed, among others, the
Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam, the Moebius House
in the Netherlands, the Mercedes-Benz Museum
in Stuttgart, Germany, Arnhem Central Station,
the Singapore University of Architecture, an LED
media façade (designed with Rogier van der
Heide) and interior renovation for the Galleria
Department store in Seoul, Korea, and a private
villa in up-state New York, the Arnhem Central
Station, Canaletto Tower in London and Raffles
City in Hangzhou, China. Current projects are
Doha Metro Network in Qatar, the Scotts Tower in
"Fundamental to our practice is the idea Singapore, the Hanwha Headquarters in Seoul and
that new concepts for architecture can be ‘Four’, a new mixed-use development in the heart
generated almost everyday." --- of Frankfurt.
Architect Ben van Berkel
WORKS YEAR
KARBOUW Amersfoort, Netherlands 1990-1992

ERASMUS BRIDGE Netherlands 1990-1996

MÖBIUS HOUSE Het Gooi, Netherlands 1993-1998

HET VALKHOF MUSEUM Nijmegen, 1995-1999

Netherlands

GALLERIA DEPARTMENT STORE Seoul, 2003-2004

South-Korea

MERCEDES-BENZ MUSEUM Stuttgart, 2001-2006

Germany

VilLA NM Upstate New York, USA 2000-2007

Programme.- single family house.
Building surface gross.- 528 m².
Building surface net.- 406 m².
Building volume.- 1677 m³.
Building site.- 2350 m².
Groundbreaking.- 2008.
Construction completed.- 2014.
 W.I.N.D. House by Ben van Berkel
• The ‘homes of the future’, previously the
stuff of fantasy exhibited only in World's
Fairs and science fiction, are increasingly
becoming a reality. Automation and
connectivity are making it possible for
today’s smart homes to integrate information
technologies through which systems and
appliances are able to communicate in an
integrated way, resulting in vastly increased
convenience, energy efficiency, safety and
security.
• Ben van Berkel: “The contemporary smart
home not only enables the control of
appliances from afar and incorporates the
necessary installations and materials to aim
for a zero net energy building, it also
responds to changes in today’s lifestyles.”

As such, flexible floor plans are incorporated which allow for diversity in function in
order to correspond to the family’s changing needs and thus offer choice for gathering,
seclusion, work or play. The organisation of the contemporary home therefore enables
the residents to curate their own home life, both now and in the future.
Ben van Berkel: “A challenge for the architect in the design of today’s single family
home is a response that accurately reflects the degrees of flexibility, sustainability and
automation required by the residents and the incorporation of these into the overall
concept of the design.”
GROUND FLOOR PLAN

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

 Located on the outskirts of a
Dutch village and close to the
sea, the W.I.N.D. House is
backed by a sheltered wooded
area and fronted by a large,
open expanse of polder
landscape. The design of the
house responds to both its
setting and to the seasons,
whilst regulating and
maximizing upon the effects of
these.

The organisation of the house is defined by its external conditions. The more intimate
working and sleeping areas are located towards the back, where the enclosure of the
nearby woods provides an intimate, private setting, while the living areas enjoy
expansive and panoramic views of the polder landscape to the front.
Suggesting the shape of a simple flower, each of the four facades curve towards the
inside to create four distinct petal-like wings and to draw the landscape further into the
interior. These curving recesses are visually connected to each other through their view
lines, which cross at the heart of the building and provide varied diagonal vistas
throughout the building.
Centrifugal circulation
The vertical organization of the building
follows a centrifugal split-level
principle. An open staircase at the
center of the house - which forms the
circulation core between the four
recesses - connects the front and back
wings, with the result that each turn on
the stair provides expansive vistas
through the house and out towards the
surrounding landscape.
The entrance level houses basement
functions and the carport, which is
situated next to the main entrance.
From the main entrance the central
staircase leads towards the children
rooms and the music room on the first
floor to the rear of the house. From
here it proceeds up to the raised first
level at the front of the house, where
the main living area and kitchen are
located.
From the living areas the staircase leads
up to the second level at the rear of the
house, where the Master bedroom
with hamam and the guest room are
located, before ascending further up to
the generous roof terrace which covers
the complete two front wings of the
house and overlooks the polder
landscape.
A comprehensive home automation
system enables integrated control of
the electrical systems including solar
panels and mechanical installations.
Complete control of this ‘smart home’
is possible by a central touch-screen in
the living area, while decentral devices
provide dedicated control per room.
Furthermore control is possible
remotely by independent devices via
LAN-connection.
Architects: UNStudio East London's borough of Islington is
Location :London, evolving into a 'Tech City' as many
Architect in Charge :Ben van Berkel technological and creative industries
Area 21732.0 m2 relocate here. Canaletto highlights the
Project Year 2017
developments in this vibrant residential
district and creates a distinct identity for
the area by responding to its specific
Islington context. The residential tower
features a curvilinear ribbon facade.
The 22,000m2 Canaletto residential tower
in London employs the concept of
clustering several floors together to
establish a group of ‘vertical communities’
that relate closer to the small scale of
neighbouring buildings than to a typical
high-rise. Offering waterside living, the
31-storey tower comprises studios, one
and two-bedroom apartments, a variety of
three bedrooms and one distinct penthouse
with a full rooftop.
Canaletto also includes shared amenities
such as a swimming pool, health club,
media room and resident’s club lounge
with a terrace on the 24th floor.
CONCEPT AND DESIGN
Articulated Facade
We clustered several floors into individual groups that are articulated with aluminum
framed balconies. Continuous ribbons of windows, balustrades and spandrels wrap around
the facade.
Sheltered " Outdoor Spaces
As outdoor spaces are integral for good living environments, we created unique, sheltered
spaces within the facade system. Folding and sliding doors on the north- and south-facing
terraces are combined with Juliet balconies on the east facade. Levels 24 and 31 have full
terraces.
Materialisation
The materialisation of the facade draws from the detailing and material contrast found in
product and furniture design. Contrasting materials are employed within each grouping: the
outer smooth aluminium detailing is complemented by textured inner materials.

Ben van Berkel: “The City Road Tower distinguishes itself from buildings in the nearby
financial district of the City through variation; through materials, through clusters,
through a scale that is appropriate to city streets and through a facade that creates its own
residential identity by means of a varied and heterogeneous elevation.”
A nuanced city silhouette
As opposed to having only one
prominent facade the Canaletto tower is
composed of a triangular facade of 31
storeys facing west, in tandem with a
rectangular facade facing east. Its base
occupies a landscaped forecourt that
opens onto City Road. The clusters are
designed to maximise transparency and
frame views towards the London
skyline, thereby lending the tower a
softer and more nuanced silhouette. As
an extension of the interior living space,
grouped balconies offer a unique
outdoor experience. In each grouping,
textured as well as smooth materials
offset the typical high-rise aesthetic of a
continuous glass facade. The smooth
outer metallic element is complemented
by textured inner materials.
Sustainability
The surface modelling creates opportunities for shading, balancing
good internal daylight and views with reduced heat gains. The
articulation of the facade will additionally reduce wind down drafts
and, in combination with canopy proposals at the base of the building,
provide an improved pedestrian microclimate.
Balconies
The modelling of the balconies within each grouped cluster lends
variability to the facade and the living experience for the residents in
the building. As outdoor spaces play a large role in the enjoyment of
living environments, the creation of unique, sheltered spaces of high
quality was a driver in early design development. The aspect of using
both textured and smooth materials contrasts with the expected
contemporariness of a typical high-rise metal construction and lends
this facade a residential 'twist.'