Samenvatting

Refugees deserve a humane and attentive reception when applying for asylum in the Netherlands. In this masterplan and design for the AZC in Budel full attention is paid to a stress reducing and welcoming environment for the applicants and the staff of the COA facilities. The integration in the site, part of a former emigration center and later a military base, serves Natura 2000 goals and a policy towards a fenceless center open to the public. Based on thorough research into the COA procedures, a new program is drawn up for several buildings which follow the steps in the asylum application process. They are placed in natural surroundings and connected by a network of walking paths in the open air. The design concentrates on the application center, the first step in the process. The building height is based on two floors: the ground floor for contact areas, and the first floor for staff functions. The curved, cruciform shape offers four wings and a central double height reception space. The glazed facades are open to the natural surroundings and give access to outside space. A wooden mainframe supports the floors and a large extended roof. Interior units are adaptable and make flexible floorplans possible. Parts of the building can also be rented out to other, external parties. The open concept of the total plan is continued in the architecture of the application center, offering a sensitive and valid alternative for other reception and application centers today.