Fort Isabella is the last green link between Vught and 's-Hertogenbosch. The star-shaped fort was built in the 17th century as part of the Zuiderwaterlinie, and in a more recent past was converted into a barracks site that included among others a regiment of wheeled soldiers. The new phase, in which the site will be reactivated, is a transformation into a outer-city with an attractive mix of housing for residents of different age groups, work and hospitality. This transformation will be done by repurposing a number of existing barracks buildings combined with new construction in the spirit of the barracks site.

Characteristic features of the existing barracks buildings are the formal front facades with protruding sections, the informal rear in the green and the symmetrical placement around the formal former roll call area. The main form of the new buildings to be added is based on the existing barracks buildings, but instead of one new building with 20 apartments, we design two half barracks buildings with 10 apartments.

The two sliced buildings, together called Isabella Gate, face each other with their 'sliced side' to the surrounding greenery, mirrored around the symmetry axis of the square. The open sliced side gives a glimpse into the interior of the building, and is exploited for outdoor spaces placed in an open, contemporary robust concrete structure. Thus, a new gate and time layer is added to the fort, with strong references to the history of the place, with a new impetus.