150 Best Minimalist House Ideas (2014)

Architect: GAAGA

Location: Leiden, the Netherlands

Photography: Marcel van der Burg

Stripe House takes its name from the horizontal grooves across the entire envelope of the building. Located at the end of a row of houses, it is a three-story home that offers views of the surrounding landscape from a variety of directions.

Despite the small size of this site, which is located in an urban area, its ground floor has both a studio and a garden. The latter is a transitory space between the street and the indoors.

A large living area and a kitchen occupy the second floor. There, a tall space along the kitchen wall connects this floor with the one above containing two bedrooms and a bathroom.

100

Double-height spaces are worth the sacrifice of square footage, as they spatially enrich a room. The addition of a clerestory or high window will distribute light evenly throughout a room.

101

Vertical houses maximize views and sunlight. Make the most of higher floors by creating light-filled rooms, stacking utility rooms and staircases to do so.