Long may we live! Long may we live!

Willem Wissing designed Borgstede as part of the expansion plan for Barendrecht-Noord. It was commissioned by the Nederlandse Centrale voor Huisvesting van Bejaarden (NCHB), one of the agencies responsible for housing for the elderly in the Netherlands after the war. Wissing designed a main two-storey wing perpendicular to two three-storey residential blocks. To the north of this complex are three blocks containing twelve independent flats. The home also contains an infirmary.

At Borgstede, Wissing had to comply with the Prescriptions and Recommendations published by the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning. According to the standards of the time, a one-person room should measure 12m2. In his design Wissing succeeded in increasing the quality of space for the residents. For example, he took account of individual residents' personal needs, providing larger spaces for those with large numbers of books or other personal items. Residents could keep furniture from their old homes in the spacious storage area on the first floor. Within the rigid prescriptions, Wissing was able to create space for individual needs and desires.