This project has been made as a graduation project for the Heritage and Architecture Graduation studio at the Delft University of Technology. The project is situated in the Hembrug Area. Hembrug is located near the Dutch cities of Amsterdam and Zaandam. The Hembrug site is a former military production site initially part of the Stelling van Amsterdam. It was located in such a way that when the Netherlands would come under attack, it would have all its military production protected and centred. The Hembrug area has recently been vacated by both the Dutch ministry of Defence and the company which made parts on the site, Eurometaal. The buildings now lay vacant and desolate. This is a shame as there are many historically important buildings within the area, including 50 monuments. The area is in need of a new use and redevelopment. Of the entire Hembrug Area, this plan focusses on an area known as The Changeover Zone. Drawing inspiration from the sites historic functions, the tough buildings and its secluded location, a new military function, but not a production function, was searched for. During research, a particular current need of the armed forces was identified, a rehabilitation facility. Up to 400 Dutch military members each year report life limiting problems sustained from their time in the forces 6 months after leaving. These problems can be both physical problems and mental health related. When initial care has been received, the men and women face a society which is not used to dealing with their specific issues and members of society can be outright dismissive of problems faced by military personnel. The concept therefore is to design a rehabilitation facility to aid in a more graceful and hopefully better return to society as a whole. The Armed Forces Rehabilitation Center, to be referred to as A.R.C. is a rehabilitation centre focused on 2nd phase care. By creating a small scale society of kindred men and women in which one can receive care if required but is fully self-supporting in every aspect, a level between the Armed forces and society is created. By arranging the facility as a city block with separate functions in each building centred around a square, people are forced to leave their housing but can still do so in a safe environment. Having to cross the square each time one goes to a different functions also functions as a stimulant for spontaneous interactions and making friends. These friends will then be of great help during the rehabilitation. By creating the square and creating a new raised footbridge, a dynamic range of levels of privacy is created. A person living in this facility is free to move between these levels, allowing one a gradual move back into the public.

This graduation project and the main topic that will be addressed derives from the context of the Hembrug terrain, in which the studio ‘Revitalising Heritage’ is placed. The problem statement, based on the initial site analysis, illustrated that the green and historical character of the Hembrug terrain may disappear due to the new proposed developments. These plans for extra housing and working spaces are pushing the greenery further outside of the city centres and putting
pressure on the ecological quality of the area. This led to the research question that will be explored in this project. ‘How can the re-design of the heritage site of Hembrug facilitate ecological growth and increase biodiversity while contributing to the public awareness on the importance of preserving nature?’ The combination of natural preservation and architectural design is a field that has been developing lately under the term ‘urban ecology’. This research field ventures beyond the traditional approach towards ecology and introduces the city as an ecosystem of its own. The theme of urban ecology is strongly represented in the program envisioned for the area of Hembrug, but also in the design approach for the area itself. The landscape and architectural design should reflect this combination of nature with the existing built fabric and can be viewed as an experiment to test the principles of urban ecological design.

A small community where elderly and young professionals live, study and work together

This design project is a heritage project combined with inclusive design. The buildings are preserved as much as possible but also listen to the requirements of the future functions. Inclusive design is applied by making the buildings easily accessible to everyone and to alse triggering other senses besides the eyes.