As one of the medieval cities in the Netherlands, Zutphen has the most typical identity of a stronghold city: the inner city is surrounded by layers of the solid city wall, city moat and fortification. However, during inevitable city expansion, most walls were torn down and moats were filled up.
The main target building in my project, St.Elisabeth elderly home, was built partly on the former position of the city wall and partly on its inner side with a short distance. The volume of the building cuts down the connection between the city and the city wall. Thus, this valuable heritage on this site only serves as a hidden treasure, which is also a loss of urban land use in Zutphen. The building accommodates the elderly while it doesn't offer much quality in elderly living. Facing the ageing issue in Zutphen or even the whole Netherlands, one of
its identity in urban tissue, traditional courtyard space, could be a trigger to create better living space and revitalize heritages in the regeneration of this historical area.