Sliding panels offer maximum privacy to B&B guests

In the garden of Bed & Breakfast De Olm in Kaatsheuvel there is a special tree. (Olm is Dutch for elm.) This elm was spared during the felling for the construction of the de Rooij family's house. Now the elm has all the space it needs to grow. Just like Marcel and Monique's B&B, where quality, comfort and personal attention are paramount. The house is of minimalist design, yet at the same time rustic. To create a pleasant indoor climate for the guests, architects Van Reeven consciously chose DucoSlide architectural sliding panels.

Bed & Breakfast De Olm is located in an existing neighbourhood in Kaatsheuvel-Oost. The district is characterised by large detached villas surrounded by greenery. The client's wish was to build a life-long home here. At the same time, they wanted to create a cosy B&B. Due to the limited space on the plot, architects Van Reeven chose to locate the guest accommodation in the basement. At the rear, van Reeven created a patio that rises like a garden to the ground level. In this way, they break the cellar feeling and also create privacy for the guests. The minimalist yet rustic villa meets the strictest new-build requirements.

Energy-efficient installation techniques

“We paid a lot of attention to energy-efficient techniques,” says architect Jurre Jan van Reeven. “The house is equipped with an air source heat pump with low temperature heating, heat recovery from extracted ventilation air and solar panels to generate the necessary electricity. To increase guests’ comfort, we chose aluminium window frames with movable DucoSlide shutters. We have used these sliding panels in the past with very good results.”

Architectural sliding panels and blinds

“Aluminium sliding panels offer the possibility of regulating the incidence of light in a structural way,” van Reeven continues. “The rear façade is fully south-facing and the large glass panes make sun protection desirable. The DucoSlide SlimFrame sliding panels are the perfect solution. In the design, we chose to make a blind panel in the middle between the frames. The TV will be placed on the inside wall here. On the outside, the panels are slid in towards it. This gives the B&B guests control over daylight, view and privacy. For the gable ends we opted for DucoSun Cubic. These slats are an attractive solution for shading the corners of the thatched roof. The gable ends face east and west and certainly need this shading. The application of the architectural slats results in a significant reduction of the average temperature by up to 12%. Talk about an efficient solution! "