Residential care center Marijke Hiem offers its residents a certain degree of freedom through its layered and well-designed structure. The courtyard layout creates a sense of security without making residents feel restricted in their freedom. Residents have the choice to spend their day in the comfort of the group or wander through the courtyards and garden. They are welcome everywhere and never encounter closed doors.
Futuristic Residential Care Center
A timeless design is characterized by its adaptability for future functional changes. The design is prepared for the potential conversion of the building into independent homes, ensuring the long-term value of the property. The complex is topped with a green roof, which serves both as a sustainable rainwater buffer and creates a subdued green aesthetic when viewed from the surrounding taller buildings.
Client Meriant collaborated with Buro Kade (formerly MBVDA) in the initial stages to develop a conceptual design, which served as the basis for the design and construction tender that took place in early 2018. The tender was won by a consortium consisting of architectural firm Gortemaker Algra Feenstra, contractor Aan De Stegge, and installer Harwig. The consortium’s success was not solely based on price but rather on the integrative nature of the design, with a central focus on the vision of care.
Delivery During the COVID-19 Crisis
The completion of a residential building for people with dementia has an additional dimension in the current times of the COVID-19 crisis. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, it is crucial for the residents to feel at home in their new living environment. The spatial layout of this residential building allows for the facilitation of visits by having multiple entrances for different living groups. Additionally, there is a generous provision of high-quality and sheltered outdoor spaces. These examples are elements that should be increasingly implemented in the future.
Traditional Values
The presence of traditional values is important for the target group, especially considering the impact of dementia. These values are reflected in the design of the facades, living rooms, individual rooms, and gardens. Each living group has its own entrance and consists of nine studios and a communal living room. The design of Marijke Hiem is characterized by subtle architecture that seamlessly integrates into the urban fabric. The complex aligns with the tranquil surroundings, neighboring housing typologies, and, most importantly, the target user group.
Comfort and Familiarity in the Interior
Attention is given to comfort and familiarity for the clients in the interior design. The access corridors are designed as “cloister corridors,” meaning they are covered walkways with a direct connection to the surrounding gardens. Each individual room is equipped with a display cabinet next to the front door, allowing residents to showcase personal objects. This increases the room’s familiarity while also adding visual interest to the corridor. The individual rooms offer a certain degree of flexibility in terms of furnishings, making it easy to personalize them. The communal living rooms are interchangeable in terms of functionality but distinguish themselves through different aesthetics and color schemes.
Exploring the Garden Freely
An important aspect of the design is the presence of various gardens. Each garden has its own theme: one garden invites residents to peacefully watch birds from a bench, while another garden stimulates activity, such as playing a game of petanque. Within the boundaries of the complex, residents can freely roam around, with the different atmospheres in the gardens aiding in orientation. The outer boundaries are subtly designed using hedges and gates to guide movement. The pathways through the gardens are completely flat, ensuring that residents using walkers or mobility scooters face no obstacles.
