A cube-like three-story house in Leiden designed by GAAGA architects

Located in Leiden, The Netherlands, the Stripe House, as it is called, is a contemporary residence that was built in 2012. It sits on a very small corner plot and it got its name from the horizontal stripes that are visible on its surface. The house was a project by GAAGA. It has a compact and minimalist exterior design. Surprisingly, despite the limited size of the site, it was not entirely built on. There was still some space left for a small enclosed garden.

The garden, despite its small size, is the element that makes the transition from public to private spaces and it also acts as a buffer between the house and the neighboring residence. Structurally, the house has a compact design. It has three levels and they are all similar in size. However, their internal organization differs. As you get upwards the spaces get more private in nature. On the ground floor are the office and patio. The first floor contains the kitchen, the living room and the dining area. The upper level, naturally, contains the bedrooms and bathroom.

Each floor has a huge window. They let in lots of natural light and they also provide views of the outdoors. Since the house sits on a corner plot, it has views in almost all directions. On the first floor there is a series of three windows that offer three different scenes, on each side on the house. The Stripe House is a very well-organized residence with a minimalist, contemporary design and with great internal planning. Moreover, it’s also a sustainable house.{images by Marcel van der Burg}.