Dezeen Magazine

Stay Under the Radar by Sander van Schaik

Stealth aircraft inform Stay Under the Radar retreat in the Netherlands

The angular matte-black forms of stealth aircraft informed the appearance of this holiday home on a former military base in the Netherlands, completed by local studios Sander van Schaik and Robert-Jan de Kort Architectuur.

Aptly named Stay Under the Radar, the retreat sits on the edge of the De Hoge Veluwe National Park in an area called Buitenplaats Koningsweg, a former German military base that contained aircraft hangars camouflaged as typical farm buildings.

Exterior view of Stay Under the Radar retreat in the Netherlands
Sander van Schaik has completed a holiday home in the Netherlands

Over the past decade, the site has been transforming into a "cultural enclave" for artists, with the design of eleven vacation homes that respond to the theme of camouflage, including a "folly high up in the trees" by i29 and Namo Architecture.

For Stay Under the Radar, Sander van Schaik and Robert-Jan de Kort Architectuur were informed by the design of the F117 Nighthawk, a stealth aircraft known for its angular profile and matte-black finish for reducing visibility to radar.

Close-up of holiday home exterior by Sander van Schaik
The black angular exterior is modelled on stealth aircraft

"Stay Under the Radar has a mysterious appearance with its black angular shapes – the folded down fibreglass open mesh gratings around make it seem like it has just landed on the forest floor," explained Sander van Schaik.

The retreat sits slightly raised on an area of steel decking, overlooked by the angular glass walls of the ground floor living space.

Living space within Stay Under the Radar retreat
Steel and black-painted timber walls feature on the interior

The upper portion of Stay Under the Radar is concealed almost entirely by its exterior of black synthetic rubber, punctured by a grille providing ventilation.

A top-floor bedroom sits beneath a large glass roof, which casts light down into additional sleeping areas on the first floor through a metal walkway.

"Strategically placed facade openings and the grated floor parts ensure unobstructed airflow from floor to ceiling throughout the building," explained Sander van Schaik.

"The resulting chimney effect effectively removing excess heat at the top during summer, while providing a fresh air supply at the ground floor of the building," it added.

Bedroom space within holiday home by Sander van Schaik
A top-floor bedroom sits beneath a large glass roof

The steel frame structure of Stay Under the Radar has been left exposed externally and painted black, complemented by black-painted timber walls in the living areas and bedrooms. The project was awarded the 2024 Heuvelink Prize, given biennially to the best construction project in Arnhem.

Other holiday homes recently completed on Dezeen include a "micro chalet" within Canadian woodland by Naturehumaine and a mountain retreat in the Ukrainian Carpathians by Sanina Arch Club and Gubar Architects.

The photography is by Jeroen Musch

More images and plans

Site plan of Stay Under the Radar by Sander van Schaik
Site plan
Ground floor plan
Plan of Stay Under the Radar by Sander van Schaik
First floor plan
Plan of Stay Under the Radar by Sander van Schaik
Second floor plan
Plan of Stay Under the Radar by Sander van Schaik
Roof plan
Section of Stay Under the Radar by Sander van Schaik
Section
Stay Under the Radar by Sander van Schaik
Stay Under the Radar by Sander van Schaik
Stay Under the Radar by Sander van Schaik
Stay Under the Radar by Sander van Schaik
Stay Under the Radar by Sander van Schaik
Stay Under the Radar by Sander van Schaik