Y2K House

In 1998 OMA was approached by a client who was living with his family in a house in the suburbs of Rotterdam and because he liked the view, he bought the garden first and then the meadow behind it and later also the meadow beyond that. As a result he had the certainty that for his entire life there would be a view of one-kilometre depth available to him.

The client made three statements which were all equally important requirements for design. First of all he hated mess. Another declaration was his anxiety towards the Y2K problem. He wanted OMA to think about the house before the year 2000 although they would do nothing in the house until after the year 2000, until they were sure that it was safe. The last requirement was it would have to be partly a house where they could all be together, but also a place where they could all live separately.