Strijp R is characterized by the traces of the industrial past of the former Philips factory site; parts of the old factories and pipe bays show up like old relics between the 500 new houses. The architecture of the old factories has inspired the materialization of the design. Examples include the cornices, masonry, concrete elements and tile surfaces. The qualities of the industrial heritage have also been used in the spatial design of the houses; clear volumes with lots of light, space and height.

The plan contains a difference in height, which has been used to differentiate entrances and floor plans. For example, the entrances are equipped with a staircase and a recessed front door. In other houses, the height difference inside is solved by means of a house-wide staircase, causing an extra high interior space and a raised facade at the house front. This is just one of the ways to strengthen the relationship between public and private. The houses have large apertures facing the street, inviting residents to appropriate parts of the public space. The boundary between garden and public area has also been carefully designed by the use of masonry walls built up out of open and special masonry.

The houses are constructed in light-colored masonry, baked in the traditional ring furnace of the Vogelensangh brick factory in Deest. The various brick bonds and patterns soften the architecture and give the plan an artisanal look. The use of concrete elements can be traced back to the old factory architecture. Blue ceramic tile work - specially made for this plan by St. Joris Keramiek Industrie from Beesel - has been applied in a few strategic places and forms a cheerful note but even more a subtle reference to the past of Philips.