The Mathon family managed to acquire a plot in a new residential area in the city of  Etten-Leur. They wanted to build a house that would suit the whirlwind life of a family of seven. Their creative objective has resulted in the build of an iconic tornado villa.

While discussing the design with the Mathon family, their children ran into and out of the room like whirlwinds. This made a tornado a logical metaphor for their hectic family life. This shape is abstractly reflected in the design of the villa by pulling a double squared log cabin shape apart like a tornado would. The horizontal windows are placed in different heights. By deviating from the standard articulation, the upper floors become invisible from the outside, thus creating a swirling design.

A house where five growing children each needed to have their own room, but also a common area. Plus a master bedroom and two bathrooms. Designing the villa was like putting together a tight puzzle to fit as many available square meters as possible. The solution: a compact design with a centrally located playroom in the middle. A glass atrium has been placed at the top, representing the eye of the storm. The windows in the children’s rooms are staggered, so the smallest residents can see the world outside from different perspectives at different times in their lives.