De Hofjes Residence

A place where independent living and community life come together.

On October 6th, construction officially began on 'Residentie De Hofjes' in the Volgerlanden-Oost district of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht. This unique residential project, designed by Kokon Architecture & Urbanism, focuses on social interaction, a sense of belonging, and independent living.

Commissioned by the housing association Trivire, we designed a future-proof living environment featuring 55 social rental apartments for seniors. In addition to comfortable, accessible homes, the building provides space for social interaction, including a communal living room and a lush, green courtyard garden designed by Peter Verkade.

Shaping a new living environment together
What makes this project particularly special is the active involvement of the future residents. They have been closely engaged in the development of their new living environment from an early stage. Together with Trivire and Kokon, they contributed ideas for the design of the communal living room and kitchen—spaces destined to become the beating heart of this residential community.

For us as architects, this participatory approach was an exceptionally valuable and rewarding process. By engaging directly with the future residents, we gained insight into their wishes, needs, and ideas. This allowed us to work together to create a living environment centered on social interaction, connection, and independent living.

The residents have made a conscious choice to be part of a community where people look out for one another. Remarkably, this sense of community is already taking shape, well before the first residents move in.

Designed for today and the future
With a strong focus on accessibility, sustainability, and nature-inclusive design, Residentie De Hofjes is crafted to enable seniors to live independently for as long as possible. For instance, six apartments are wheelchair-accessible, and the bicycle storage area includes space for eleven mobility scooters. In our view, good architecture goes beyond the mere design of homes; it is about creating places where people feel at home and where communities can flourish.

The project is being developed by Kroon & de Koning. Residentie De Hofjes is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2028.