After the summer holidays, TU Eindhoven will house several hundred students in the former head office of Philips in Eindhoven. In the coming months, 456 rooms, shared living rooms, bathrooms and kitchens will be built in the building on Boschdijk. The intention is that the students will be able to live there for the next three to five years.
“We are dealing with a major housing shortage, also for students,” says alderman Mieke Verhees. “It will take a few years before the Philips office gets its new destination. That is why I have contacted the owners of the building and TU/e to see what is possible in the meantime.”
Johan Hofmans, director at owner Ten Brinke/BPRE, was immediately enthusiastic: “The office floors will be converted into student rooms. Groups of eight to ten students will be living there, who will share sanitary facilities and the kitchen.”
The lower floors of the building will house general facilities, such as bicycle rental. And in the basement there will be a waste collection and an extensive bicycle shed. These are therefore out of sight.”
Good neighbours
Because that is of course another thing: what do the local residents think of the plans? After all, more than 450 students also cause a lot of commotion and possibly nuisance. “The neighborhood has been invited to a walk-in meeting, where they can share their concerns.”
TU/e remains involved in the project. Jan-Willem Schellekens wants to ensure a ‘healthy living environment and good management’.
“We are going to use old-year students per floor as a contact person with good contact with the administrator. This should provide clarity about internal regulations and help to form a close-knit student community. That has already proven to work well in other places.”
Cost
Owner Ten Brinke/BPRE will pay for the temporary furnishing of the building. “As a university, we are not allowed to invest in student housing ourselves,” explains Schellekens. Students will pay about 350 euros exclusively for a room of about twenty square meters.
The now vacant building of over 33,000 square meters was the head office of Philips Netherlands until 2001. For a final interpretation, a combination of housing, care and associated facilities is being considered, for example.