Sperwershof

's-Graveland
Sperwershof
  • Sustainability
  • New construction

The Sperwershof estate got a new owner, who wanted to adapt the manor and the park to the current time. BiermanHenket, together with the owner, made a plan for a renovation in which sustainability was the guiding principle.

The Sperwershof country estate is part of the series of 's-Graveland country estates that arose at the beginning of the seventeenth century after the excavation and reclamation of the sandy soils west of Hilversum. In the 19th century the estate came into the hands of the Röell family. They build a new country house and had Hendrik Copijn design the gardens in English landscape style. In 1951, the Röell family had the manor house replaced by a new house as well as the coach house.

The current country house, which stands on the location of the original Sperwershof country house, and a large part of the park construction and the meadows belonging to the country estate, were purchased by a new owner in 2019. This new owner has commissioned Bierman Henket to renovate the current house and make it energy neutral. In addition, there are a number of assignments in the park, such as replacing and moving the swimming pool, building a new carport/storage room and constructing a new vegetable garden with a glass greenhouse.

  • Design: BiermanHenket
  • Client: Private
  • Location: 's-Graveland
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Plan Copijn (1888) - Origin of reproduction Special Collections, Wageningen University & Research - Library

The current country house, which stands on the location of the original Sperwershof country house, and a large part of the park construction and the meadows belonging to the country estate, were purchased by a new owner in 2019. This new owner has commissioned Bierman Henket to renovate the current house and make it energy neutral. In addition, there are a number of assignments in the park, such as reconstruct and relocate the swimming pool, building a new carport/storage room and constructing a new vegetable garden with a glass greenhouse.

The current country house consists of a main building with several extensions. It is a relatively sober house with a characteristic double high chimney. The house is built on an older cellar, which is still intact and is connected to the twentieth century house. The plan for the modernization of the house is based on the preservation of the characteristic elements of the existing house.

Due to the poor condition of the old cellar and in order not to make any concessions to the quality of the end result, it was finally decided to completely rebuild the country house. One of the adjustments is the redesign of the new bay windows to the house, which open up the house more and connect with the beautiful park. The existing extensions have been demolished and replaced by a new, slightly larger extension, which matches the existing main building. The extension is positioned on the north side to shield the house. The wing is located on the edge of the forest and keeps the sightlines, which are part of the original landscape plan, free. The swimming pool has been relocated so it has a better fit in the garden.

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View entrance facade
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View garden facade

A number of adjustments have been made to make the house climate neutral and self-sufficient. The existing house is well insulated. New sustainable and energy-efficient installations, including a heat pump, have been installed. A total of 72 solar panels will be installed on the roof of the side wing and the carport, 3 bottom loops will be drilled for the heat pump, 165m deep. During the renovation, sustainable and biologically responsible materials were used as much as possible.

Overview of sustainable solutions (in dutch)

Overview of sustainable solutions (in dutch)

The park layout of Sperwershof was designated a national monument in 2002. Bierman Henket asked Karres and Brands to develop a future vision for the park layout and to carefully incorporate the desired architectural components into the park. The starting points for the vision on the future are largely preserving and strengthening the qualities of the Copijn plan from 1888. This includes preserving the monumental trees and shrubs and the characteristic path structure and restoring a number of important sightlines. This vision of the future also includes the need for privacy of the new residents.

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Park layout (landscape architecture by Karres and Brands)
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