The renovation of the Foreschate residential building, designed by the architecture firm Woonwerk Architecten, modernizes the old building, adapting it to contemporary standards while preserving its original character. It comprises 30 independent assisted living apartments with private outdoor spaces. Ground-floor units feature gardens, while those on the upper floors have balconies. New spaces, such as a motorcycle parking area and a communal living room, are integrated into the ground floor of the original building.
The new building—inspired by the renovated adjacent structure—is designed with a staggered arrangement of volumes to house residents with dementia. The ground floor comprises a group of individual living units and a community center that includes a gathering area, a meeting room, a hair salon, a physiotherapy room, and administrative offices. On the three upper floors, the individual units are located on opposite sides, separated by common areas that include two living rooms equipped with bathrooms and kitchens, staff meeting rooms, and storage spaces.
The project is conceived as a unified urban complex with a common architectural language, reflected in the use of its masonry. The base is accentuated with structural concrete elements.
Foreschate by Woonwerk Architecten. Photograph by Luuk Kramer.
Project description by Woonwerk Architecten
In the heart of the Bosgeest neighborhood in Voorschoten stands the Foreschate Residential Care building, a 1970s complex set within a thoughtfully designed green landscape. To meet contemporary care needs, Woonzorg Nederland, in collaboration with care provider Topaz, adopted a strategy combining selective demolition, new construction, and renovation. The new care building is conceived as a distinctive living environment where the atmosphere of “feeling at home” forms the guiding principle.
Old building
The existing wing has been renovated to meet contemporary living standards, offering an opportunity to highlight the spatial qualities and identity of the original architectural design. The renewed volume is composed of staggered independent units (30 assisted-living apartments), each with private outdoor spaces—gardens on the ground floor and balconies on the upper floors. Special functions were added on the ground floor, such as a new entrance, a parking facility for scooters, and a communal living room.
New care building
The second wing, which accommodated residents with severe dementia, has been demolished and replaced with a new building tailored to the specific needs of dementia care. Inspired by the adjacent renovated wing, the new building adopts a nuanced play of stepped volumes that clearly distinguishes the individual group units from the common rooms, creating a natural continuity between old and new. On the ground floor, there is a community center with multifunctional spaces, including a gathering area, meeting room, hairdresser, physiotherapy room, and administrative offices for the Topaz healthcare organization. The stepping of the building mass ensures both personal privacy for residents and a generous spatial relationship with the surrounding environment. Thus, the architecture provides privacy and safety for its residents while welcoming the wider community.
The new care building is spatially organized by positioning the individual units in two small-scale groups on opposite sides of each floor, separated by public functions that can easily be shared. The central amenities include two living rooms equipped with toilets and kitchens, staff meeting rooms, and storage spaces. In total, there are seven living groups in the building—six groups spread over three floors and a single group on the ground floor.
Social inclusivity
Although the two wings accommodate different resident groups, the project is conceived as a unified architectural and urban ensemble. This coherence is expressed in the articulation of the façades, where the rhythm of the individual units is made visible, while the collective identity is reinforced through calm, tactile brickwork that blends seamlessly with the surrounding neighborhood. The plinth is accentuated with concrete framing elements, referencing the architectural language of the original 1970s structure. A prominent canopy marks the new entrance, creating a welcoming threshold supported by a redesigned public landscape.
Architecture and heritage
The relationship between the two wings is reinforced through their spatial positioning and the continuity of the green outdoor environment. The existing building maintains gallery-like circulation along one façade, offering direct visual and physical connections to the central garden. The new wing organizes circulation more internally, yet the shared facilities are supported by a network of interconnected terraces that extend the building’s social life outward. The garden itself has been redesigned as an accessible communal landscape—open to residents and local visitors—and features pathways, planting beds, and spaces for gathering and play.
Future flexibility
The entire complex is designed with future transformation and adaptability in mind. The clustered residential arrangements can be converted into independent two- or three-room apartments with private entrances and outdoor spaces. Structural openings have been pre-planned within load-bearing in-situ cast walls, and service shafts and ceiling heights are arranged to support later reconfigurations. The façade composition, window dimensions, and provisions for mounting balconies are integrated structurally from the outset, ensuring that future change can occur without compromising quality or continuity.
