The project Fort Fier started with a question by the client, as he entered our office for the first time: ‘Can I find here a mad architect?’ His fascination with the wabi-sabi philosophy, imperfection and so-called poor man’s architecture were the starting points for an unusual assignment located on an artificial island in the polder.

The architecture of the house is honest, simple, and inspired by concrete bunkers and fortifications located in the area. It resembles a safe fortress from the outside, with a central, open courtyard on the inside and a hovering volume above it, in a character of a donjon or a look-out tower. The design process was a long, joint search for the right form, the connection to the landscape, the way how residents (and visitors) enter the house, the philosophy behind the façade openings and how each space is experienced during different times of the day.

Finally, the optimal building solution was found for this unconventional design - a CLT box is placed on a concrete table elevated from the ground. The installations are designed in a low- tech solution, with sunscreens and natural ventilation, to respond to the changing climate conditions the plot is facing.