A former military zone becomes a vibrant cooperative community where creative makers transform monumental heritage into homes and studios. Blending history, sustainability, and social value through a participatory redevelopment process.
The Enclave at the Hembrug site in Zaandam is a unique redevelopment project in which a collective of creative residents has transformed eleven national heritage buildings into a vibrant live-work community. This diverse group of makers, ranging from artists to bakers, joined forces as a cooperative and assumed the role of risk-bearing developer. What was once a closed military zone has now become a thriving environment where heritage, nature, and community spirit converge.
01.
Zigzag
Building A7, a former military car workshop, has been transformed into six unique homes that carefully balance heritage preservation with contemporary design. Through a participatory process, residents co-created individualized living spaces within a shared architectural framework, featuring flexible wooden inner shells, a dynamic zigzagging upper volume, and light-filled voids. The design also honors the building’s ecological legacy by discreetly integrating bat roosts into the facade, allowing native bat species to continue inhabiting the structure. More info coming soon!
02.
A8/9
Building A8/9, a listed national monument, has been thoughtfully transformed from a military canteen into a distinctive live/work space that honors early 20th-century craftsmanship. The renovation carefully preserves the building’s ornate brick and wood detailing while introducing a fully insulated interior shell and restrained new volumes for private functions. This respectful approach maintains the grandeur of the original interior, allowing its architectural beauty to remain fully visible and experienced. More info coming soon!
03.
HOUSE A12
Building A12, a former military wash house, has been reimagined as a light-filled home for two families. Thoughtful interventions—such as sunken corner patios, enlarged openings, and a biodiverse green roof—enhance natural light, spatial quality, and ecological value, all while preserving the building’s historic character. The project is a compelling example of adaptive reuse, breathing new life into a forgotten structure and bridging the past with contemporary living.
Interactive Map
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Buro Loof took on the role of process facilitator, embracing the challenge of guiding the cooperative through every phase of the project’s development. This journey was far from straightforward. Along the way, the group faced many challenges, including the revocation of the area code and complex discussions about building regulations, issues that had the potential to significantly impact the quality of life within these historic monuments. Buro Loof played a key role in negotiations with both the local municipality and the Hembrug site's proprietor. This process also involved obtaining the permits necessary for the transformation and habitation of the monuments.
Over a period of six years, Buro Loof has been involved in multiple phases and design aspects of the Enclave. This includes co-creating the communal geothermal heating infrastructure that provides a sustainable energy source, as well as designing and maintaining a safe construction site. Throughout this period, we had the pleasure of seeing our clients grow into their roles as developers, becoming more confident and capable with each step.
After years of intensive dialogue with the municipality, the site’s proprietor, and heritage authorities, the buildings of the Enclave have been transformed into homes, studios, and offices. By designing from the strength of the existing fabric, the site’s industrial history remains tangible, while new functions have been carefully integrated as a thoughtful contemporary layer. Each building was approached with a tailored strategy, preserving its structure, materiality, and character.
As part of the Enclave development, Buro Loof designed the transformation of four monumental buildings. The Zigzag, a former military vehicle workshop built in 1916, is being transformed into a home for six families. Building A8, formerly a canteen, has become the residence of a family with three children. The adjacent Building A9 now serves as the family’s atelier. House A12, a former wash house, has been transformed into a home for two families.
This development demonstrates that a participatory design process leads to deeper engagement, greater sustainability and higher quality. The Enclave represents an alternative approach to project development, one that places process ownership, connection and social value at its core. It is a pioneering place where history, future, and community come together: a meaningful reimagining of monumental heritage.
Hembrug Enclave
Category
Residential
Location
Zaandam
Size
22.000m²
Year
2024
