Community Cares
Transforming the Officer’s Casino into community-care housing
A.J. Niesing (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
W.L.E.C. Meijers – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
T.P. Bennebroek – Mentor (TU Delft - Architecture and the Built Environment)
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Abstract
This graduation project focuses on the adaptive reuse of the Officer’s Casino in Soesterberg, a national monument and a rare example of Second World War military architecture. The building is currently vacant and deteriorating; therefore, adaptive reuse is essential to preserve this heritage for future generations.
The aim of this research is to transform the building into a community-care housing complex, a typology that bridges the gap between independent living and organized support. Through an analytical mapping methodology, the heritage values of the Officer’s Casino are identified and used as a framework for its transformation.
The project explores two target groups through case study analysis and comparison: elderly residents (following the Knarrenhof typology) and young vulnerable parents (parent-child housing). These groups were found to share key principles, including social cohesion, mutual support, independence, and noaberschap (looking out for one another). Combining these principles creates an intergenerational living environment that balances independence, stability, and informal support, resulting in a vibrant and supportive community. In contrast, protected and supported living typologies were considered less suitable due to their need for low-stimulus environments, continuous professional care, and highly structured living arrangements.
The final design applies strategic architectural interventions by preserving the original zoning and translating historical functions into the new program. Structural interventions primarily focus on conservation. The site is redesigned to encourage social cohesion and strengthen community support networks. Additional housing is organized around a central courtyard, forming the heart of the community-care complex.
Overall, this project demonstrates how adaptive reuse can successfully transform a military heritage building into a vibrant, intergenerational community-care housing environment.