What is a villa?
A villa is a spacious, detached house on its own plot, usually surrounded by a garden. In Dutch it is also called a villa. The word comes from Latin: in Roman times a villa was a country house or estate outside the city, often with a farm attached. Today we use the word mainly for a large, detached, often architecturally distinctive house.
Development over time
- Roman villa: a country house with living quarters and farm buildings. Remains of Roman villas have also been excavated in the Netherlands and Belgium, especially in South Limburg.
- Renaissance: in Italy the wealthy urban elite built country houses in the countryside. The villas of Andrea Palladio around Venice, with their symmetry and temple fronts, were imitated for centuries.
- 19th century: with the rise of villa parks and villa districts, the well-to-do middle classes moved to the greenery on the edge of the city. You see many villas in eclectic styles, such as Neo-Renaissance and chalet style.
- 20th century: architects used the villa as a testing ground for new ideas, such as Nieuwe Bouwen (Dutch modernism) with flat roofs, lots of glass and an open plan.
Villa, country house or detached house?
The boundaries are not sharp. In everyday language and in estate agents’ descriptions, a large detached house is quickly called a villa. A country house is generally located in the countryside on a larger site. An urban villa (stadsvilla) is a detached, block-shaped building with several flats in an urban setting.
| Villa | Spacious, detached house on its own plot, usually surrounded by a garden |
|---|---|
| Country house | Generally located in the countryside on a larger site |
| Urban villa (stadsvilla) | Detached, block-shaped building with several flats in an urban setting |
Tips when buying or renovating an older villa
- Have a building survey carried out with attention to the foundations, roof structure and building services. Older villas often have a large, complicated roof shape with many junctions where leaks can occur.
- Check the monument status: in the Netherlands many villas from the 19th and early 20th century are a municipal or national monument (gemeentelijk monument or rijksmonument) or are located in a protected townscape.
- Making it more sustainable: large volumes, a lot of external wall and single glazing make older villas energy-intensive. Start with roof and floor insulation and draught-proofing; that often gives the greatest return on the investment.
Related terms
- Country house
- Renaissance
- Neo-Renaissance
- Nieuwe Bouwen (Dutch modernism)
- Prairie house
- Facade
Want to learn more about construction terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.