Iris de Mooij
Samen wonen, samen zorgen
Living together, caring together
Transforming a 1980s nursing home into an inclusive urban care center for people with dementia
“How would you like to grow old?”
‘Samen wonen, samen zorgen’ (Living together, caring together) demonstrates that quality care begins with the environment in which we live. People with dementia deserve more than a merely functional care facility — they deserve a home, one that enables them to remain themselves for as long as possible. A home that is connected to their surroundings, their memories, and their loved ones throughout all stages of the disease. This project illustrates how architecture can contribute to a care environment that is high-quality, liberating, and inclusive.
The research explores how existing care facilities can be transformed into meaningful, future-proof living environments for people with dementia, right in the heart of the city.Using the typical 1980s nursing home “De Klinker” in the Borgerbuurt neighborhood of Amsterdam as a case study, the project investigates how architecture, care, and social cohesion can come together in a contemporary care center. In this renewed environment, freedom, a sense of ownership, and sensory experience are central throughout the entire disease process.
The transformation of De Klinker demonstrates that demolition is not always necessary. By revaluing the existing structure, adapting it for new uses, increasing spatial density, and optimizing typologies, the building can be repurposed to address pressing social challenges and build an inclusive and sustainable city. The new design creates spaces that encourage social interaction and informal oversight, enabling formal care to be supplemented by informal support from local residents. This relieves pressure on the care system and strengthens the local community. Central to this approach are three key themes: encounter, orientation, and wayfinding. These elements enhance the perception and legibility of space, allowing residents with dementia to maintain as much independence and quality of life as possible — even in the final stages of the disease.
Samen wonen, samen zorgen has shown me — not only as a designer, but also as a person — how profound the impact of architecture can be on our well-being. With this project, I hope to contribute to a broader conversation about how we want to approach ageing — and, above all, how we want to care for one another.
Graduation date: 29 April 2025
Graduation committee: Lisette Plouvier (mentor), Caro van Dijk, Hannah Schubert
Additional members for the exam: Jarrik Ouburg, Elsbeth Falk