--- title: Reintroducing Piet Hein Eek date: 2026-06-01T14:39:00+02:00 author: Nina Swaep canonical_url: "https://hetindustriegebouw.nl/en/community/news/reintroducing-piet-hein-eek/" section: Articles --- ![Reintroducing Piet Hein Eek](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_1800x880_crop_center-center_90_none/5-Piet_Hein_Eek_1%C2%A9Nick-Bookelaar.jpg) [ Interviews ](https://hetindustriegebouw.nl/en/community/interviews/)# Reintroducing Piet Hein Eek **No HIG anniversary would be complete without** [**Piet Hein Eek**](https://pietheineek.nl/)**. Although his studio, workshop, shop, restaurant, exhibition space and hotel are all located in Eindhoven, his work is inextricably linked to Het Industriegebouw. Perhaps you were there when he built the Units—or perhaps you’re wondering: Piet Hein who? Either way, we’re delighted to introduce him to you (again)!** ### **Reclaimed wood and experimentation in the 1990s** Ten years ago, he designed the iconic interior of the coworking spaces, which remains as solid and impressive as ever. Transparent yet private, it forms a warm, wooden addition to the building’s otherwise functional, modernist concrete structure. When we call Piet Hein Eek in Eindhoven to ask how he became involved in the redesign of Het Industriegebouw, his enthusiastic voice comes through the speaker: “I could talk for hours about how it all came about, but let’s start at the beginning. I graduated in 1990 with a furniture collection made from reclaimed wood. If you presented something like that today, people might think: so what? But back then, using reclaimed wood was something that shocked people. Such raw material was genuinely avant-garde in the 1990s, so whenever I managed to sell a piece, it would be to open-minded people who were also prepared to pay a substantial amount for it. It was extremely time-consuming: every time I sold a piece, I had to gather the wood and make it *on the spot*. That would keep me going for a while. I managed to break even financially, and in the meantime, we continued experimenting. That was what we enjoyed most.” Who does he mean by “we”? “Oh yes, sorry—my business partner Rob Ruijgrok and me. We worked together for decades and created the most remarkable things. Speaking of remarkable, the company’s growth has also followed an unusual path—and by that, I mean it has been very slow…” Piet bursts out laughing over the phone. “I actually enjoy designing things and creating all sorts of new work more than making the effort to sell it. What is wonderful, though, is that we design, produce and sell everything ourselves under one roof. That was also unique in the 1990s, considering the global trend towards cheap mass production, which was still in full swing. It was quite sad, really, because one craft after another disappeared while cheap, anonymous production flourished—with terrible consequences: mad cow disease in the food industry, child labour in the fashion industry, cleared rainforests in the furniture sector, and so on.” “Fortunately, people eventually began looking at things differently, and a renewed appreciation emerged for transparency, quality and fair production. Even so, my approach to making things remains fairly unique because it isn’t necessarily very lucrative,” Piet says almost apologetically. “Our production methods are completely different from those of most makers. Not many entrepreneurs could sustain this approach without an excellent sales team. Fortunately, now that I also have spaces that I rent out, the balance is better. That gives me peace of mind.” ### **From a kitchen design to a lifelong collaboration** Let’s return for a moment to those early years, Piet, when the people who appreciated your designs could be counted on one hand. Was that also when you met HIG owners Luuk Schotsman and Esther Dubbeldam? Piet: “That’s right. They discovered me through the publicity surrounding my furniture and were interested in my designs, which weren’t as cold and clinical as most designs at the time but instead had a certain warmth. They therefore asked me to design the interior of their home. We started with a very robust kitchen, which was an extremely important part of the house for them. It’s fascinating to get to know people through their wishes and way of life. Luuk, for example, has the remarkably likeable quality of placing enormous trust in the people he commissions. Of course, that means you mustn’t mess it up—but you wouldn’t want to disappoint someone who gives you so much freedom anyway. It naturally makes you try even harder! From that first moment onwards, we never really lost touch. Gradually, our ongoing collaboration developed into a friendship. You could easily write an entire book about everything we’ve created together.” “When Het Industriegebouw came into the picture, they asked me to help develop the design plan. It covered both the building’s redesign and its reappraisal within the urban context. Placemaking, *if you will*. Strategic thinking, in any case, and it was great fun to be involved. For the interior, we created a reasonably modular plan for the workspaces. Transparency was another priority, as it strengthens the sense of community. The colours were based on research into the shades used in the original design.” “Something else I’d like to emphasise,” Piet continues, “is that Het Industriegebouw was exceptionally well built by Maaskant and Van Tijen. Buildings of this quality are almost impossible to find nowadays. When I first stepped inside, I told Luuk and Esther: you’ve hit the jackpot with this place!” ### **Why this building is so exceptional** What makes its design so exceptional to you, Piet? “There is almost no office architecture in the Netherlands that takes its users into account to this extent. At HIG, this is reflected in the U-shaped concrete structure, with long galleries running along the inside. This means you almost always pass through a ‘public area’ on your way to your workplace. It creates a very intimate and inclusive atmosphere and provides the ideal conditions for a community to thrive. Everyone comes together on the inside without constantly having to knock on one another’s doors. The funny thing is that although the building will celebrate its 75th anniversary next year, it still feels incredibly modern.” “I’m pleased that we were able to use our knowledge and expertise to contribute to HIG’s new beginning. After we delivered the construction plan and completed the first phase, more and more of the work was subsequently carried out by HIG’s maintenance team. ‘Piet Hein Fake,’ I believe you call it,” he says with a laugh. “But one thing often leads to another. It certainly isn’t something you can take for granted, but Luuk, Esther and I always seem to find our way back to one another, and I appreciate that. I prefer working with the same people throughout my life, provided we get along. My aim is that, eventually, you should be able to attend one another’s funerals. Although I hope that, in our case, that’s still a very long way off…” ![](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_1120x630_crop_center-center_90_none/15-_HE_4836.jpg) ![](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_1120x630_crop_center-center_90_none/Schermafbeelding-2026-06-01-om-14.46.01.png) ![](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_1120x630_crop_center-center_90_none/EURL5984web_2026-06-01-124528_hpvh.jpg) [ ![](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_910x600_crop_center-center_90_none/Schermafbeelding-2026-07-21-om-11.28.40.png) #### Interviews ### In conversation with 220PR ](https://hetindustriegebouw.nl/en/community/news/in-conversation-with-220pr/) [ ![](https://cdn.hetindustriegebouw.nl/images/articles/_910x600_crop_center-center_90_none/2026%E2%80%9304%E2%80%9309_HIG_420.jpg) #### Interviews ### In the neighbourhood: wine and cheese bar Juni ](https://hetindustriegebouw.nl/en/community/news/in-the-neighbourhood-wine-and-cheese-bar-juni/)