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The case for the DECUB Heerlen Living Lab is the building block of the former DSM Firmenich Headquarters. The building block consists of one large building of 8 floors and the surrounding infrastructure and open space. The design of this building block was initiated in 1982, and executed 1983-1985. The complex was designed for 700 employees. The building was designed by AGS architects, a bureau from Heerlen established by architect Peter Sigmond.
DSM stands for Dutch State Mines. This was a state company exploiting several coal mines in the province of Limburg until the closure of the mines in the 1960s-70s, and evolved towards other chemical branches over time. This headquarters was built at the time that the coal mines had been closed down, and a clean-up operation was going on, resulting in the demolition of most mining infrastructure in the region. The older headquarters, in the centre of Heerlen, were equally abandoned and demolished after the move was made to this complex.
The industrial development that came with the coal mining, had a significant impact on Heerlen; first the city grew to prominence, then it declined after the coal mines were abandoned. The coal mining history is still present in the hearts of many inhabitants, and DSM is part of that history. After almost 40 years, DSM (which merged with the Swiss firm Firmenich in 2025) had decided to move its headquarters to Maastricht, vacating this complex in Heerlen in 2024. It was purchased by social housing association Wonen Limburg, which aims to transform the building with 18.000 m2 of office space, into 161 housing units. The ambition is to make this a flagship project of circular renovation. This ambition is safeguarded by the establishment of the knowledge hub ECCBT, Home – ECCBT.