Treebeek
The mining colony Treebeek in Brunssum (Limburg) came into being between 1913 and 1921 after a design by architect Willem Leliman MSc. Leliman, averse to inappropriate monumentality and fancy sensationalism, had rows of simple houses built in a park-like layout.
In the 1960s, the buildings around the iconic Treebeekplein were demolished and replaced by three-storey porch flats. During a recent renovation, the open area that emerged was once again built up with small-scale new construction designed by Jo Janssen Architecten from Maastricht.
In the first phase of this operation, the porch flats were replaced by 45 homes with fourteen different housing typologies. Following on Leliman’s original garden city, the choice was made for a simple architecture of one- floor and two-floor homes with a continuous roof. In addition, the original miner’s houses will undergo high-quality renovation.
The project Treebeek was nominated for the Abe Bonnema Architectuurprijs 2015.
Photos: Atelier Kim Zwarts, Jo Janssen Architecten