Sanders Mello Building / Buro/S Architects

Buro/S Architects, commissioned by Sanders Mello Orthodontics, has transformed the national monument at Langstraat 79 in Wassenaar into a modern orthodontic clinic. The character of the monument has been preserved and thoughtfully combined with contemporary architectural elements.
The original building dates from the first half of the 17th century and is characterized by a distinctive gabled roof between end walls. It is a so-called "deep house"—a type of dwelling with a narrow front façade and a floor plan that extends deep into the plot. The building is oriented perpendicular to the street, as is the ridge of the roof.
The property consists of three segments: the national monument, an extension on the right and rear that was in very poor structural condition, and a garage at the back. For the past hundred years, the building was used as a shop; prior to that, it served as the farmhouse of a village homestead. Outbuildings, including a hay barn, once stood on the rear plot bordering the back street.
Buro/S Architects restored the monument internally and, where necessary, externally, and added a new extension to the right and rear of the building. The new structure was designed to allow for a possible future vertical extension at the back. A new façade has been introduced at the front of the building, incorporating the new main entrance.