Explore Warm Nest, Ark-Shelter‘s innovative healing facility in Knokke-Heist, Belgium. Merging modern, wooden design with the Maggie care philosophy, it redefines therapeutic architecture. Created with a focus on patients’ diverse needs, Warm Nest offers brain-healthy spaces amid nature, emphasizing sustainable design for future wellbeing.
This sanctuary is more than a building; it’s a holistic approach to healing, blending architectural elegance with compassionate care.

About Warm Nest
The Art of Healing Design
Designing a Maggie centre, a healing facility, stands as a prestigious honor for architects. Renowned designers like Gehry, Zaha Hadid, and Rem Koolhaas have contributed to its legacy. This project, therefore, demanded thorough research on previous designs. It represents a significant step in the journey toward creating health-focused environments. Inspiration and Philosophy
The AZ-Zeno hospital, collaborating with the Maggie care organization, envisioned Belgium’s first Maggie care-inspired facility. Maggie Keswick Jencks, the founder, described her cancer journey profoundly in 1995. Her experience informed a new, empathetic approach to cancer care.
Ark-Shelter’s team, including Martin, Michiel, Viktor, and myself, Menno, centered our design around user experience. We applied UX principles and insights from neuroscience to create “brain-healthy” spaces. We considered the users’ diverse need...