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.
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
22.000m²
Size
2024
Year
2015 Shortlist Gulden Feniks
Recognitions
