Scheldehof Residential Care Centre by Atelier PRO architects

The Scheldehof Residential Care Centre by Atelier PRO architects redefines elderly care architecture through the sensitive transformation of a monumental former metal sheet factory in the heart of Vlissingen, the Netherlands. Located on a historic shipyard site, the project demonstrates how adaptive reuse can generate not only high-quality care environments but also renewed urban vitality. Rather than erasing the past, the design embraces the industrial character of the site, allowing memory, care, and contemporary living to coexist within a single architectural framework.

From Shipyard Factory to Care-Focused Urban Hub

The redevelopment combines the former metal factory with an adjacent new structure to create a comprehensive residential care complex. The program is extensive and carefully layered, accommodating 55 apartments for somatic care, six group accommodation units for psychogeriatric residents, and 54 assisted-living and care apartments. In addition to residential functions, the ground floor introduces a wide range of public and semi-public amenities, including a restaurant, training and education rooms, artist studios, a hairdresser, retail spaces, physiotherapy facilities, a theatre auditorium, and a parking garage.

This programmatic diversity plays a crucial role in repositioning the care centre as a social destination rather than an isolated institution, inviting interaction between residents, staff, and the broader community.

Opening the Existing Monumental Structure

A central architectural move was to open up the previously closed façade of the historic industrial building. Portions of the heavy exterior were replaced with glass, allowing daylight to penetrate deep into the vast interior volume. Monumental factory doors were reopened, and a transparent ground-floor “box” was introduced to establish visual and physical permeability between inside and outside.

Within the towering space of the former metal factory, three new residential storeys were inserted. Apartment volumes are suspended within this vast interior, described as objects floating like pieces of furniture inside an oversized room. This strategy preserves the dramatic scale of the industrial hall while creating intimate, human-scaled living environments.

A Winter Garden as the Heart of Care Living

In the newly constructed part of the complex, group accommodation units are organized around a central winter garden, which functions as both a spatial and emotional core. This enclosed garden provides natural light, greenery, and a safe internal outdoor space—particularly important for psychogeriatric residents.

The layout of the group housing is intentionally modeled after a typical domestic home. Residents pass through a shared living room before entering private sleeping areas, reinforcing familiarity and routine. All apartments are internally connected to service functions, allowing staff to provide care efficiently while maintaining residents’ privacy and autonomy.

Interior Design Rooted in Authenticity and Comfort

Atelier PRO architects extended their design philosophy into the interior spaces, where the main objective was to create a homely, non-institutional atmosphere. Rather than masking the building’s industrial origins, the design deliberately exposes heavy original steel structures, allowing the shipyard past to remain present and legible.

Warm materials, carefully chosen colors, and soft lighting balance the robust industrial elements. This contrast helps residents feel grounded in a place with identity and history, avoiding the anonymity often associated with large care facilities.

Discreet Technical Solutions Supporting Daily Care

A defining quality of the Scheldehof project is how care infrastructure is integrated invisibly into everyday living spaces. Apartments are generously sized, and essential medical equipment—such as patient hoists—is concealed within ceilings or structural elements. This ensures that residents’ homes remain visually calm and dignified, while staff can still work efficiently.

Maintenance access has been thoughtfully planned so that technical interventions can occur without disturbing residents’ privacy. Corridors conceal installations behind wall panels, maintaining a clean and domestic appearance while allowing flexibility and ease of upkeep.

Architecture Designed for Dementia Care

Special attention was given to residents with dementia and disorientation. The design supports safe wandering, encouraging movement rather than restriction. Layouts subtly guide residents to leave their apartments, explore shared spaces, and return home instinctively. Materials, textures, and sensory cues are used intentionally to stimulate awareness and orientation.

A protected indoor garden forms part of this strategy, offering a secure environment where residents can move freely without risk. These spatial decisions demonstrate how architecture can actively contribute to emotional well-being and cognitive comfort.

Flexible and Future-Proof Infrastructure

The Scheldehof Residential Care Centre is designed as a long-term, adaptable living environment. Structural systems and building infrastructure allow care functions to evolve over time, responding to future healthcare models and demographic shifts. Apartments can adjust to different levels of care as residents’ needs change, supporting continuity of living rather than forced relocation.

This adaptability ensures the building remains relevant for future generations, reinforcing its role as a sustainable investment in both architecture and social care.

A Social Landmark Revitalizing the City

Beyond its architectural and care-related achievements, Scheldehof acts as a social and spatial landmark within the former shipyard area of Vlissingen. Despite being situated in a region experiencing population decline, the client—WVO Zorg—chose to create a lively, publicly accessible environment.

By integrating cultural, educational, and recreational functions alongside housing, the project restores urban energy and public life to a previously underutilized site. The care centre becomes not only a place to live, but also a place to visit, gather, and connect—reaffirming architecture’s power to regenerate cities from within.

A New Model for Care, Heritage, and Urban Life

The Scheldehof Residential Care Centre stands as an exemplary model of how adaptive reuse, thoughtful care design, and urban responsibility can intersect. Through a respectful transformation of industrial heritage, Atelier PRO architects deliver an environment that prioritizes dignity, flexibility, and social inclusion. It is a project that proves care architecture can be both deeply functional and profoundly human.

Photography: Petra Appelhof, Ronald Tilleman, Jan-Willem Jansen