Craibosch

The site’s history dates back to 1903, when sanatorium Hoog Laren first opened its doors here. Ever since, everything on this site has revolved around the relationship between health and landscape: fresh air, nature and the transition between indoors and outdoors. In 1990, Gooi-Noord Hospital settled on the site of the former sanatorium and built on that tradition, until it relocated to Hilversum in 2023 and the site became available once again.

With our urban plan for Craibosch, we build on more than a hundred years of history and translate it into a place that fits today’s ambitions. Here, healthy living, smart densification and a collective, green living environment come together.

The transition between woodland and heath on the eastern side and the village on the western side consists of a landscape of slopes and old trees, forming the foundation for Craibosch. Hidden behind the tree line to the north lies the A1 highway, which connects Craibosch to the wider region.

Within this landscape, we have reduced the scale of the former hospital by dividing its mass into an ensemble of residential clusters and smaller buildings. The stepped volumes are based on maximising daylight in both the public realm and the dwellings, and on sightlines through the area. The new buildings are carefully fitted in among the existing trees and are complemented by new native trees and planting.

Each residential cluster brings together a mix of housing typologies, from ground-level homes and compact apartments to care-oriented housing forms and group dwellings. The architecture of Craibosch is inspired by the veranda typology: a contemporary evolution of the historic sanatorium buildings. Generous canopied outdoor spaces open the homes towards the landscape. These in-between spaces provide shelter and comfort, encourage social interaction, and enable outdoor living throughout the year.

The transparent plinths bring vibrancy to street level and strengthen the connection between the buildings and their surroundings. Horizontal lines and materials such as timber, brick and glass give all the buildings a tactile, softer character that suits the landscape.

Woven between the clusters lies a sequence of green spaces and intimate courtyards. Running from west to east through the plan is the Buurtbrink: the central axis that forms the social heart of the neighbourhood, featuring community greenhouses, seating areas, hospitality venues, shared mobility and other amenities that strengthen the neighbourhood’s collective character. Along the Buurtbrink runs a pergola made from reclaimed concrete elements: a marker that keeps the history of the site visible.

We transformed the existing basements into underground parking facilities, so that cars disappear from the landscape and the ground floor is freed up for greenery, ecology and places to linger. This circular approach also minimises waste and earthworks during construction.

The site’s history is also reflected in the materials used. Together with Urban Mining Institute, we researched how reclaimed building materials could be kept and reused within the country. Materials from the demolition of the hospital are given a new application at Craibosch: concrete returns in the pergola along the Buurtbrink and in staircases, timber finds its way into play areas and furniture. Hard paving, in turn, makes way for greenery, wadis and ecological structures that retain water and bring biodiversity back to the area.

Craibosch shows how thoughtful densification can create space for ecological quality, collective places and a residential environment in which the boundary between neighbourhood and landscape blurs.