Refurbishment study of a monumental farmhouse and stables in Bemmel, the Netherlands
Welling architects was asked to make a study to refurbish a monumental farmhouse and its stables into several units of housing for elderly.
The farmhouse and its stables are dating back to the 1840’s resp. 1880’s and have a status as a local monument. The technical state of the buildings are very bad. The farm used to lie between its fruit orchards, but by now the village has grown and the farmhouse is located at a central spot in the town. Only a very small part of the orchard still remains on the plot.
We collaborated with the local government to investigate the possibilities of redeveloping this monument. To increase the economical feasibility of refurbishment of this farmhouse, we proposed to transform the farm into a community for independent elderly housing. The farmhouse, the adjoining stables and the freestanding stables would be transformed into 5 housing units.
We studied the history and the distinctive characteristics of the monument and incorporated these into the spatial concept of the dwellings. Characteristic façade details are maintained or planned to be reconstructed where they are no longer visible.