CRAIBOSCH: LIVING IN THE LANDSCAPE REINVENTED

On the border between Blaricum and Laren, on the site of the former Tergooi Hospital, Craibosch is introducing an innovative model for living in and with the landscape. Through an integrated design by Karres en Brands and Studioninedots, the area is being transformed into a vibrant, inclusive residential environment covering 80,000 m², where care, housing, nature and community life come together. The plan demonstrates how densification, ecological quality and quality of life can reinforce one another.

The site’s history dates back to 1903, when the Hoog Laren sanatorium opened its doors here. Ever since, everything at this site has revolved around the relationship between health and the landscape: fresh air, nature and the transition between indoors and outdoors. In 1990, Gooi-Noord Hospital moved onto the site of the former sanatorium and built on that tradition, until it relocated to Hilversum in 2023 and the site became vacant once more. With the masterplan for Craibosch, Karres en Brands and Studioninedots are building on this history and translating it into a place that fits with today’s ambitions.

A key principle in the transformation is the reuse of the existing hospital structure. The masterplan preserves and reinterprets a significant part of the building, with most of the new volumes being situated directly on the existing footprint. This ensures that a large part of the surrounding woodland is preserved. The existing basements are being transformed into underground car parks, thereby removing cars entirely from the landscape and creating space for greenery, ecology and public gathering spaces. New buildings are designed to align with the existing structural dimensions, which offers the possibility of incorporating even more of the original structure into the new neighbourhood in later phases. This circular approach minimises waste, reduces earthworks and strengthens the continuity between the site’s past and future.

To bring the scale of the former hospital back to a human scale, the original massing is divided into an ensemble of residential clusters and buildings of varying sizes. The stepped volumes are designed to maximise natural light in both the public spaces and the homes, and to preserve sightlines across the site. The majority of the development lies within the existing footprint, whilst additional volumes are carefully positioned amongst the existing trees and complemented by new native planting. Architecture and landscape thus form a single whole: woodland rooms, green corridors and intimate green spaces set the rhythm of the neighbourhood. Light, sightlines and routes flow naturally through the area, gradually blurring the boundary between built-up and undeveloped land.

Craibosch’s architectural identity is based on the veranda typology: a contemporary evolution of the sanatorium buildings that once stood on this site. Spacious, covered outdoor areas extend the homes out into the landscape and form a gentle transition between interior and nature. These intermediate spaces offer shelter and comfort, encourage social interaction and enable outdoor living all year round. Transparent plinths bring a sense of vitality at ground level and strengthen the connection between the buildings and their surroundings. Horizontal lines and materials such as timber, brick and glass give the buildings a tactile, softer appearance that blends in with the landscape.

Interwoven between the clusters lies a sequence of green spaces and intimate courtyards. Running from west to east through the development is the Buurtbrink: the central axis that forms the social heart of the neighbourhood, featuring community greenhouses, seating areas, catering facilities, shared mobility schemes and other amenities that strengthen the sense of community. Along the Buurtbrink stands a pergola made from reused concrete elements salvaged from the hospital’s demolition: a landmark that keeps the site’s history visible. Care services, meeting places and wellbeing programmes are woven throughout the plan, enabling residents to live independently whilst remaining connected to support and social networks. In this way, Craibosch is evolving into a residential care landscape: an environment where living and care reinforce one another and where architecture and landscape together contribute to inclusion, health and social cohesion.

The site’s history is also reflected in the choice of materials. Materials salvaged from the demolition of the hospital are being repurposed: the concrete is reused in the pergola along the Buurtbrink and in staircases, whilst the timber is used in play areas and furniture. Paved surfaces are giving way to greenery, wadis and ecological structures that retain water and restore biodiversity to the area.

Craibosch demonstrates that densification goes hand in hand with landscape quality and inclusivity. The masterplan encompasses a rich array of housing typologies, ranging from detached and terraced houses and compact flats to group homes and care-oriented housing, all within an efficient and compact structure. By cleverly concentrating the development programme, a great deal of green space is preserved and the ecological value is enhanced. As a result, the quality of life here is defined by access to nature, a diversity of housing types and shared facilities, rather than by exclusivity.