The land and buildings of fruit grower and livestock breeder Derk Steenbruggen have not been in use as a farming operation for some time. De Parabool has the ambition to establish a care facility here for 24 (young) adults with severe multiple disabilities. With small-scale residential, work, and daily activities in the Southwest Overijssel region, De Parabool focuses on personal development, social interactions, and community integration. Studio Groen+Schild has been selected to create an urban and architectural design.

The existing farmhouse will be preserved, while the adjacent young livestock barn will be demolished and rebuilt. The buildings will be adapted for daily activities and support services. The agricultural heritage will be preserved, and the farmhouse will become the visual centerpiece of the estate.

The barns behind the farmhouse will be demolished. These structures are severely outdated, structurally unsound, and contain asbestos. Three new sustainable wooden buildings will be constructed for housing and client support. These new buildings will take the form of barns to visually subordinate them to the main volume—the existing farmhouse.

Maintaining the apple orchards, harvesting, and producing delicious apple juice will be one of the daily activities. Thus, fruit cultivation, and thereby the history of the Steenbruggen family, will have a new future.

Renders: Studio Groen+Schild

Projectteam Studio Groen+Schild:
Ellen Schild, Arnold de Bruin, Marcel van der Kroef