What we really want: The Y-House by MVRDV

The 330-square-metre villa rises above its surroundings on a four-storey "trunk", split at the top into two to form an indent into which MVRDV Architects have inserted a swimming pool – an elegant solution for what would otherwise have been an unusable part of the overall geometry.  All the communal spaces are located in the upper part of the volume, providing them an outstanding outlook onto the surrounding landscape – to the envy of the neighbours, whose views are obstructed by high fences.  The bedrooms and children's rooms are located in the lower part of the house.

A pool of water and a small garden with stepping-stone pathways surround the villa, which despite its highly original guise – or maybe thanks to it – has been planned according to Feng Shui principles.  To ensure that the expressive shape of the concrete building is not disrupted by window openings, the architects decided on circular holes executed in various sizes and seemingly positioned on the façade in arbitrary fashion. The house is a material object and symbol in one – a trademark for itself.