Samenredzaam Mierlo-Hout

Deadline: 18 mei

Note: this Lab is a very local project. The designer(s) or design studio communicates in Dutch and preferabele knows the area Mierlo-Hout. 

Savant Zorg, Compaen and Dutch Design Foundation are launching Co/Lab: Samenredzaam Mierlo-Hout. In this trajectory, we explore how design can contribute to a new way of living together — one where care is not only something provided by an organisation, but something a neighbourhood creates together.

The context: a new village heart in the making

In Mierlo-Hout, a village within Helmond, a new village centre is emerging on the site of the current residential care home Alphonsus: around 220 apartments where people with and without care needs will live alongside and with one another: Dorpsplein Mierlo-Hout. One in three homes is intended for people without a direct care need. It is deliberately more than a construction project — it is an investment in a different way of living together.

Savant Zorg and housing association Compaen believe that a strong community forms the foundation for good elderly care and quality living. A place where people look out for one another, where connection feels natural and where everyday life is shared. But such a community does not emerge by itself — especially when people do not yet know each other, construction is still ongoing and mutual expectations have yet to be expressed.

The design question

How do we create a community where residents, neighbours and care naturally support one another?

The challenge

There is a pattern that can stand in the way of community building: as long as care organisations take on everything that residents and neighbours could do themselves, space for ownership disappears. Not because people are unwilling, but because the system has never asked them to take that role.

Collective self-reliance requires a shift in both behaviour and mindset. How do you, as a resident, view your own agency? How do you, as a neighbour, understand your role? And how do you, as a (care) professional, define what it means to care well? That is the question this Co/Lab aims to activate.

What will you do?

The Co/Lab runs from June to November 2026 and consists of four phases. You will explore the local context and study comparable initiatives elsewhere. Together with residents, neighbours and (care) professionals, you will develop concepts through co-creation. At least one concept will be realised as a live experiment in Mierlo-Hout. This is not a desk study, but a real intervention in the neighbourhood.

Who are we looking for?

A designer or design studio working at the intersection of design and community. Social designers, service designers, community architects and other combinations are welcome. We do not prescribe disciplines — what matters is your approach.

You work with people, not about them. You are able to both research and act — moving from insight to intervention. You are sensitive to the local context: Mierlo-Hout is no-nonsense, down-to-earth and distinctly Helmond. Initiatives that feel overly academic will not land here. And you are a doer: proactive, energetic and committed for the long run, as this is a substantial trajectory that requires dedication.

Interested?

Does this challenge speak to you? Apply here. Applications are open until Monday May 18, 23:59.

Questions?

Email Lab Manager Ruben de Kinderen at: ruben.derkinderen@dutchdesignfoundation.com