Board of B&W visits winner of Rijnland Architecture Prize in Wassenaar

29-10-2025, 17:20

This week, the Wassenaar Municipal Executive visited the winner of the Rijnlandse Architectuur Prijs (RAP071) 2025: Villa at Meijendel. The villa, designed by architecture firm Cepezed, stands in the middle of the forests of Meijendel. The professional jury praised the design for its craftsmanship, sustainable construction techniques and beautiful connection with nature.

From left to right: City Clerk Alexander Oostermeijer, Alderman Ronald Zoutendijk, Alderman Wim Koetsier, Alderman Laurens van Doeveren, winner Jan Pesman, winner Ina Pesman, Mayor Leendert de Lange, Alderman Ritske Bloemendaal, Chairman RAP Krijn Tabbers and Policy Advisor Urban Planning Hugo Schut.

Room for experimentation and sustainability

In this project, the Municipality of Wassenaar deliberately gave a lot of freedom to the architect. There were no fixed rules for the new building. This allowed experimentation with new, circular materials and innovative techniques. The result is a sustainable villa that fits completely into the landscape. The garden also plays an important role. Little paving was chosen, plants that occur naturally in the area and the replanting of local tree species. Thus, the garden contributes to biodiversity and the preservation of nature in Meijendel.

Architect, winner of the Rhineland Architecture Prize and resident Jas Pesman: "The design responds to its surroundings. We wanted villa and garden to feel as one. The freedom offered by the municipality allowed us to experiment with sustainable materials and innovative solutions."

College proud of Wassenaar winner

During the visit, the college was given a tour of the entire villa and the surrounding nature garden. The architect explained the design and the choices made to build as sustainably and nature-inclusively as possible. The college looked with open eyes and much admiration at the way architecture and nature were balanced here.

Alderman Spatial Planning, Wim Koetsier: "It is extraordinary to see how Cepezed's design blends so naturally into the landscape of Meijendel. The villa exudes craftsmanship, innovation and respect for the surroundings. During our tour, we saw how sustainable and conscious building really becomes visible in practice. We should be proud that such innovative design has been realized right here, in Wassenaar."