Being given carte blanche, but having to take into account the limitations of an existing location. That was the challenge for the new infill of the BNP Paribas Fortis building on rue de la Broek in Brussels. The abundance of underground levels turned out to offer opportunities for creative solutions.
With the inauguration of the new headquarters on Warandeberg in early 2022, the former building on the corner of Broekstraat and Parsleystraat in Brussels, among others, became vacant. The design team was given carte blanche to give it a completely new use. This will be a mix of living (apartments and lofts), working (offices and conference center), childcare and food production and consumption on the roof floor. With a total floor area of 55,000 m2, this is a massive project.
To enable the local growing of vegetables, in conjunction with the restaurant, a greenhouse was provided on the roof. We proposed to immediately move all technical installations from the roof to technical rooms in the basement. In this way, the roof can be fully utilized for new functions. The roof is used as a fifth facade with the application of green roofs with landscaping and vegetable gardens.
With a multiple underground levels, the basement offered a lot of space and possibilities. One and a half levels will be occupied as parking. The lower level - 17 meters underground - we will make it partially waterproof and fill it with water. We let the contents of this basin heat up in the summer so that in the winter we can use this hot water to heat the building via heat pumps. The principle is similar to that of a BTES, but by using the existing situation in a much more economical way.
However, this alternative energy source will not be sufficient to heat the entire building. The exterior facades facing the street have been retained and will be insulated along the inside. The interior walls will be brand new and therefore also very efficient. To keep the energy balance, we also foresee an additional source with some boreholes (ATES) on groundwater that will work additionally.
Want to know more about this project and/or the possibilities to make your project sustainable?
Contact our expert Sébastien Belpaire:
sebastien.belpaire@ingenium.be - 050 40 45 30.
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