Circular Building Convert: Old DSM office becomes housing
DSM's old headquarters in downtown Heerlen has stood empty since the company moved. This is a shame, of course. In fact, there is little space in the city and we need more affordable and social housing. That is why Wonen Limburg, together with the municipality and other partners, is going to convert this old office into housing for people with low and middle incomes. This will give the building a second life and make room for new residents.
Circular remodeling
The renovation is being done in a circular way. This means that we reuse as many existing materials as possible, so that there is less waste and we build more sustainably. The project is part of Interreg NWE Circular Building Convert (CBC).
What is CBC?
Not only in Heerlen are old office buildings empty. Many cities in northwestern Europe have the same problems:
- Affordable housing is in high demand
- There is little room to build new
- Many old offices are vacant
- It is often expensive to convert offices
- We need to build more circularly
The CBC project seeks solutions to these problems. Heerlen and Lille are the first cities where this is being tested. In Heerlen it involves the old DSM office. The experiences and ideas developed here can later be used in other cities. CBC runs until the end of 2028.
Cooperation in Europe
The CBC project is paid for by the European Union and brings together 17 partners from 5 countries: The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and Ireland. The group includes social housing organizations, universities and training centers and local authorities.
Together we are devising new and affordable ways to convert old offices into sustainable housing. This is how we are working towards a better future for cities throughout northwest Europe.
