Architectural talent can manifest itself in many different ways. It can be designing a new building from scratch to meet a client’s requirements, giving new life to an old office, or transforming an inconspicuous country house into an ultra-modern villa that makes the most of its location and surroundings. These are standard architectural practices, but the elegance, creativity, and efficiency with which the Reitsema & partners architects team handles their tasks sets this company apart from others. Add to this their unfailing ability to find and express the unique essence of the assignment and their unwavering commitment to sustainability, and you can see why the Luxury Lifestyle Awards panel has named Reitsema & partners the winner in the category of Best Luxury Architect Studio in The Netherlands.

Reitsema & partners architects is an experienced and ambitious architectural office that specializes in villas, renovations, interiors, utility projects, public buildings, airports, and urban planning. The firm was founded in 2004 by Theo Reitsema, who had just before graduated with honors from the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Technology in Eindhoven. During the course of the company’s work, its work has appeared several times in reputable books and magazines and has been recognized with several specialized awards. And in 2014, Theo Reitsema was recognized as one of the most important young architects in Europe.

One of the fundamental principles of Reitsema & partners is to search for the essence of the assignment. Whether working on a new building or renovation, it is built on a strong and consistent concept underpinned by attentive dialogue with the client, a sophisticated integration into the environment, a thoughtful attitude to the shaping of space both inside and outside the building. The company strives to contribute to sustainability by creating durable buildings with low energy consumption, efficient installation, and limited maintenance. Buildings that last will not be torn down or rebuilt, allowing fewer resources to be used, helping to reduce waste and carbon emissions.

The specifics of Reitsema & partners’ approach to work are clearly evident in the Villa RR project. Theo Reitsema and his wife, the interior designer Stephanie Weitering, were tasked with renovating a villa built in 1967 and located in a forest, five minutes by bike from the center of Rijssen. To transform the fifty-year-old building into a modern, comfortable, and sustainable home, Theo and Stephanie, along with their two young children, lived in the villa for a year. This allowed them to understand the maximum potential of the structure, learn its advantages and disadvantages, and develop a renovation project.

The location of the house played a special role in the transformation project. The peculiarities of living on a hill surrounded by forest allowed to do without additional solar protection and cooling system due to the dense shade from foliage in summer. In winter, after the leaves have fallen, the low-lying sun warms the house, and residents have a view through the trees for hundreds of meters around them. When the harmonica front in the garden room is completely open, a kind of veranda is created, providing a seamless transition from the interior to the flower garden.

An important advantage of the building is the clever use of the landscape, allowing the first floor with garage and office to be used as a basement, and the upper floor to house the bedrooms and living room. The exterior staircase emphasized the overall charm of the villa and its integration with the surroundings.

Equally interesting was the renovation project of the VolkerWessels Bouw & Vastgoedontwikkeling office in Rijssen, which was opened 26 years ago and at the time was an example of a high-quality, sophisticated office made of sustainable materials. Reitsema & partners had to renovate the building and make it a leader again in terms of space and technical solutions.

Reitsema & partners have excelled in creating more open, bright, and spacious spaces while providing optimal conditions for comfortable work and pleasant relaxation and communication between office employees. Reitsema & partners’ bold and at the same time competent and highly professional solutions in terms of architecture, interior design, and choice of materials allowed not only to save the building, but also to extend its life for at least another 26 years, creating an ideal environment for work and successful business.