Housing for the elderly

Eelde, The Netherlands

This location is like a green lung on the Hooiweg, which is one of a series of green areas on Eelde’s former main road, together with the ‘Westerbroek’ and ‘De Marsch’ country estates. A characteristic feature of these estates is that the buildings are set back behind a green frontage. This was the starting point for the landscaping around the apartment complex. The apartments are concentrated in the north-east corner of the grounds, to best preserve the impression of green space.

The ‘villa amidst the greenery’ is composed of four interconnected clusters that, together with a communal carport, outline a semi-public courtyard bordered by a rank of trees. The apartments are arranged in four large, brick ‘battlements’. The landscaping of the courtyard is continued up the brick façades, blurring the distinction between the buildings and the landscape. This creates an unusual perspective, based on the metaphor of a ruin.