“Heerlen’s history is in the earth, but its future is in the sky.”

Vereeniging is a city branding project that aims to revamp the identity and the economy of the city of Heerlen through a sustainable and communal use of its rooftops.

The final outcome is a non-alcoholic Jenever inspired drink exclusively produced on Heerlen’s rooftops by its community.

To incentivise the community to join the project a Cooperative Member System (CMS) would be setup to co-finance projects and encourage contribution from members. This will increase the Vereeniging project capital and provide surplus for new initiatives.

‘Vereeniging’ is a project  designed to evoke the social DNA of Heerlen by providing a common goal to aspire togetherness, pride and joy. 

Vereeniging is a Limburg’s dialect word meaning ‘community’ and implies solidarity, relying on each other and helping each other. These were important aspects of society in the days when coal mining was the main occupation.

 

The Vereeniging project is based on a system of elements installed on the various rooftops to meet the needs of the production, promotion and consumption of the product itself.

Grow stations, distilleries, coffee shops and stores are just some examples of the elements of the system. In addition, design solutions for hospitality, education and activation to finally land on the ground with a market stall, are created to supplement the system and raise awareness about the Vereeniging brand.