Open laboratory for circular renovation
For decades, the former Gendarmerie barracks in Ixelles was an enclave behind high walls. Today, the Usquare site opens in the city’s direction and is developing as a lively neighbourhood and university campus for the VUB and ULB. A total of 22 buildings, across an area of 56,500 m2, are being repurposed, from student accommodation to research hubs and local facilities. We are together at the helm with our expertise in structural engineering, engineering, EPB and acoustics.
Circularity remains key throughout: structures are kept, materials reused and installations are modular and dismantlable. As such, bricks, stone and glass are reused, while other materials are recycled and used as flooring. New building materials are bio-based, including (acoustic) clay plasters and hemp walls. When it comes to energy efficiency, this is guaranteed with heat recovery, daylight detection and renewable heat sources, ready for connection to a heat network.
Wooden construction at unprecedented height
With The Switch, we are part of an exciting debut in Belgium: the very first high-rise project with 14 storeys in wood. The first two levels are built in concrete. This will be the new headquarters and control centre for Infrabel. An operational hub of 36,000 m2, spread across three volumes, of which the highest reaches up to 60 metres. We are combining concrete cores with CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) floors and laminated wooden columns and beams. This choice lowers the weight, accelerates the assembly and saves tons of CO2.
Wood captures an average of 1 ton CO2 per m2, is 12 to 15 times better at insulating than concrete and consumes 30 times less energy in production than steel. With dowel joints, optimised spans and preassembly, we also demonstrate that wood is fire resistant and structurally strong enough for high-rise.
Real reflection of circularity and sustainability
The iconic Centre Monnaie is being revived as Oxy: a mix of offices, apartments and a hotel. This closed block will be an open city space with green patios and a boulevard that fits seamlessly with the pedestrian zone. For the comfort of passers-by we are conducting wind research, while daylight simulations ensure than people in the office are more energised. Acoustic panels enhance well-being even more. This renovation is a real reflection of circularity and sustainability with BREEAM Outstanding and WELL Platinum as its ambition. To be carbon neutral, we are developing a concept that exchanges energy flows between different parts of the building.
For the existing façade, we are designing a new one: a wooden shell, removable copper and recoverable photovoltaic cells. Our LCA analysis and reuse inventory give materials a second chance. Oxy won the Renolab.B 2022 prize and has appeared in multiple international publications.
Energy performance rockets with data and algorithms
Belgium’s largest detached passive office building? That’s the Herman Teirlinck building belonging to the Flemish Government. We are making the energy performance level rocket with a disruptive mix of physical models and measurement data. Using a digital twin, an algorithm conducts simulations every fifteen minutes while also looking three days ahead.
This adjustment technique (Model Predictive Control) ensures excellent control of the HVAC installations, resulting in 30% energy gain and more comfort for users. For facility management, we combine all data in Twinfinity. Use of space, maintenance status, energy and comfort indicators: all of this is gathered in one clear platform, including up-to-date as-built-data. As building manager you can easily set priorities, plan maintenance and take strategic decisions. In short, digitalisation with true impact.
From depot to BREEAM excellent icon
Gare Maritime, once the largest freight stations in Europe, is now a fossil-free complex on the Tour & Taxis site. The 280-metre-long and 140-metre-wide hall still has its steel structure and is equipped with a new thermal shell with triple glazing and dynamic sun screens. Inside, you’ll find twelve modern pavilions, made from sustainable wood (Cross Laminated Timber). These are pre-made, and designed to be easily dismantled and reused later on.
For the energy supply, we are using a geothermal system coupled to heat pumps that take heat and cold from the ground. Cooling is entirely passive, while low-temperature heating provides a pleasant indoor climate. Since the hall has an open structure without classic compartments, we are designing a fire-safety concept complete with a clever evacuation strategy in close collaboration with all parties concerned. Together with the audit authorities we are integrating innovative fire-detection systems, which combine maximum safety with minimum architectural impact, ensuring the allure of the complex is retained.
From brewery to a welcoming and sustainable school
A school is more than somewhere to learn: it’s an environment that stimulates growth. Egied Van Broeckhoven School is exactly that. On the former site of Vandenheuvel Brewery, the complex is a wonderful example of how new construction and renovation reinforce one another. The art-deco style of the street-side façades has been respectfully restored, while the arched forms are echoed in the contemporary architecture. The repurposing is mixed with an intensive retrofitting: less demolition, more circular material use.
A central patio brings daylight deep into the classrooms, while layered outer spaces and a green rooftop playground make use of every square metre. Plenty of daylight based on simulations, optimal acoustics and a pleasant temperature enhance the comfort. Thanks to solutions such as geothermal energy, solar panels, high-grade insulation, smart lighting and demand-driven ventilation, the school beats EPC and EPB norms by 30%. There is even room for the local boxing club, in the spirit of the Jesuits and Egied himself, as a welcoming school for the whole community.
"We want to see young people take off: conscious, competent and compassionate. Our beautiful new school helps teachers bring out the best in themselves and helps students develop self-worth and enthusiasm for the future."
Where hi-tech and human care go hand in hand
UZ Brussel is evolving into a future-oriented university care campus. We are guiding this journey with a spatial plan that unites fragmented services as a coherent whole. This means developing the new accident and emergency department, a temporary oncology building, the medical-technology block, the Landmark building, offices and nuclear medicine. The medical-technology block is the beating heart and a hub for all critical departments. By combining our hospital expertise and disciplines like façade, fire safety and cleanroom engineering, we are creating a sustainable care environment.
The striking architecture with dynamic sun screens, by visual artist Pieter Vermeersch and enriched with organically inspired colours, symbolise the block’s activity. The Landmark building, with a sculptural design and transparent base, is the new entrance to UZ Brussel and a beacon in its surroundings. By 2030, we will realise 67,000 m2 of updated care, and without ever hindering the daily activities.
Botanical world teaming with life and technology
Be enchanted by a botanical garden of world class with 20,000 plant species. From new reception buildings and the extension of the greenhouse complex, to a renovation of service buildings and repurposing of historic sites, such as the Vlaamse Hoeve, Eredreef, Pachthofzone and Kasteel van Bouchout: we are contributing to the full masterplan at the Botanic Garden. In De Groene Ark, the iconic floating pavilion covering 7,600 m2, we are integrating energy-efficiency technology, rainwater recovery and an optimal indoor climate.
In the Herbarium we are limiting impact on the environment with reversible interventions which maintain existing structures. Even after sunset, the garden comes to life: with a unique light spectrum we protect bats, ensure safe footpaths and prevent light pollution. As such, the Botanic Garden becomes a living experience where, as a visitor, you can wander, each time with renewed wonder.
"I would say that lighting is both an art and a science. The shape, the feeling and the materiality that you have in the Green Arc is so unique and special, that we wanted the illumination to play on that. Subtle soft illumina-tion grazes across the walls and ceilings, gently highlighting the architecture bringing the space to life."
Everyone plugged in properly
At Brussels Airport, together with Interparking, we are installing 750 new charging stations: 500 for passengers and 250 for office users. Two entirely different charging profiles, a single working day versus multiple days or weeks, call for a smart approach. We are analysing the charging behaviour, designing an installation that optimally distributes the power supply (up to 2 megawatt) and are providing load balancing to prevent peak load. The design takes account of future PV integration and a dynamic energy management system.
We are also examining services from Mobility Service Providers to maximise convenience for end users. Thanks to a smart charging platform, Interparking keeps autonomous control, as Charge Point Operator, of all charging points, compatible with common charging passes and the P+ card. In this way, we guarantee efficiency, comfort and a robust network connection while accelerating the electrification of mobility.
Finger printing exposes the source of contamination
Together with OVAM we are designing an innovative finger-printing method which tracks down the source of waterbed pollution. In five pilot cases, we are analysing sediment samples with advanced techniques, such as target, suspect and non-target screening. In doing so, we chart a diverse range of chemical components and compare them with the unique ‘fingerprint’ of local companies.
With statistical models, we determine who is responsible and what amount has been spread. This gives OVAM a scientifically based foundation on which to fairly apply the principle ‘the polluter pays’. This project contributes to more judicial certainty, faster remediation and better water quality in Flanders.
