Dutch studio Martens Willems & Humblé Architecten has clad the Miller Apartment Building in Maastricht with red brick, paying homage to the city’s Amsterdam School style of architecture. This block of 38 apartments is situated along a new boulevard in the Wyckerpoort neighborhood, reconnecting an area previously isolated between a motorway and a railway.
Concept and Design
The Miller Apartment Building joins two lower blocks of social housing, also designed by Martens Willems & Humblé Architecten, enclosing a central courtyard-like parking area. Partner Maikel Willems emphasized that the building serves as a pivotal point between different spatial conditions, seamlessly integrating into the neighborhood while also forming a significant feature along the new boulevard.
Architectural Features
The block is distinguished by the cylindrical forms of its two staircases and a smaller projecting volume that aligns with the scale of the adjacent lower housing blocks. To address noise from the motorway while maintaining dual-aspect spaces, the architects created two layers of large windows allowing views through the circulation corridor. Each apartment includes a balcony facing the quieter side of the site, with ground-floor units offering small private gardens.
“The gallery had to be placed on the street side due to high noise levels,” explained Willems. To avoid a blank facade, the layout ensures visual contact with both the front and back, while the extra-wide living gallery with benches serves as an extension of the homes, fostering communal space.
Material and Finishes
The use of red brick echoes the early 20th-century Amsterdam School style, known for its expressive brickwork. The building’s upper storeys feature a crown of vertical brick ribs framed by lines of glazed red brick, nodding to the nearby Mosa tile factory. Interior access corridors and circulation areas are finished in shades of green, pale pink, and orange, while the apartments themselves are minimalistic, allowing residents to personalize their spaces.
Related Projects
In addition to this project, other notable housing developments featured on Dezeen include a social housing block in Mallorca by Peris+Toral Arquitectes, which incorporates walls of pale sandstone and limestone, reflecting the area’s traditional architectural style.
Photos: Arjen Schmitz
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