B-ILD – BUNKER
The project was part of an advertising campaign for the office Famous. A dilapidated
bunker was transformed into a holiday home allowing two families to win this bunker
as a temporary holiday retreat. Due to the success of the refurbishment, it was
decided to keep the bunker permanently open for accommodation. The half-buried
bunker lies on the site of the Fort Vuren in the Netherlands in a green surrounding.
This site was part of the ‘Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie’. The building was protected
and had to be approached with due respect. The Dutch Commission for Monuments
has taken the project to heart and supported it.
CABANE
The conversion of a derelict bunker with a very restricted surface demands an
original approach. Since the usable surface of the main room measures 3 by 3m with
a height of just 1.8m, only the bare essentials for a family holiday could be added.
Taking inspiration from ‘Le Cabanon’ by Le Corbusier, flexible wooden furnishing
was conceived to maximize the potential of the interior space. The main room
functions as a living room as well as a bedroom. None of the carpentry is standard -
everything is custom-made allowing us to optimally use the space. All furniture can
fold or slide away or be pushed up and down. Therefore all objects have a double
function. Stools are used as a bedside table, a coffee table or a step. To contrast with
the hard and monolithic character we chose to work with materials such as meranti
plywood. Recesses in the concrete were used to their full potential to accommodate
a kitchen of storage space.
DECK
The limited surface of the bunker was extended with an outdoor deck. The deck can
accommodate activities such as cooking, sitting, sunbathing and storage. The
perimeter of the deck is an exact copy of the outer circumference of the bunker
making all the more obvious how much area is lost in the thickness of the monolithic
concrete walls. From the deck you get a panoramic view of the surroundings. The
contrasts between the two areas are mutually reinforcing. The platform is made up of
wooden boards, which are identical in type and size as the formwork that was
originally used to construct the concrete walls of the bunker. This print can still
clearly be seen on the walls.
CREDITS
Project name: Bunker
Architect: B-ILD
Client: Famous
Total floor Area: 11,4 m2
Principal architects: Kelly Hendriks & Bruno Despierre
Contractor: Bouwbedrijf Den Toom Heikop
Location: Vuren, the Netherlands
Phase: completed spring 2014
Photography: Tim Van de Velde