News

We all feel it: energy is an increasingly important issue in our lives. Due to its impact on the climate and recent geopolitical events, fossil fuels are no longer sustainable in the future. The energy crisis we are headed for is a part of the news almost daily. In this article, we discuss one of the options for dealing with it sustainably.

Starting in 2023, the Antwerp Police Zone will be housed in a brand new Master Building. The very diverse function make the building quite complex. Ingenium guides and advises AG Vespa on all (complex) technical issues in the building.

The main hall of the Kursaal in Ostend will forever remain the place where Arno performed his final chord before more than 2,000 seated fans. Within this almost mythical setting, Ingenium is conducting a study for an ambitious reconversion. In the future, the client wants to turn it into a multipurpose hall where a seating stand of 1,480 people can be flexibly and easily transformed into a flat floor for at least 2,800 standing people. The level of the stage will be about 3 meters higher than today, giving the standing audience a view of the sea.

At Ingenium and Industrium, our energy experts conduct many studies to make existing and new buildings and sites as sustainable as possible. In this article, we list some interesting possibilities for your building.

To enable and accelerate the electrification of the car fleet in Flanders, there is a need for more charging stations. Companies can also play an important role here. But in addition to incentives, there are also pitfalls. Making well-considered choices today, however, avoids problem situations in the future.

Anyone generating electricity with their own PV system could only go two ways with it until recently: preferably consume as much as possible themselves, and then inject any surplus back into the grid. However, energy sharing makes a third solution possible, which has a positive impact on energy bills.

Within the framework of the 'Over de Ring' project - the study of the livability and roofing of the Antwerp Ring - the City of Antwerp also commissioned a 'water & energy' study. Ingenium was responsible for the heat networks section.

Those who manage buildings on diverse sites must follow public procurement laws when expanding or renewing technical facilities. However, this can be done faster, cheaper and without sacrificing quality. How? With a framework contract.

Together with building managers, Ingenium is taking up the challenge to make buildings carbon neutral by 2050. Besides the strict requirements imposed by Europe and the Flemish Government, important additional incentives are the long-term depreciation in value if no action is taken and the sharply increased energy prices that are already driving up facility costs.

On 29/03, the Inspiration Map Heat was launched by the VVSG: Ingenium collaborated on this map, as a member of the WarmteWerkt consortium. With the help of this website, each Flemish municipal or city council can quickly view the heat demand, now and after renovation, and the energetic potential of individual and collective heat solutions for a desired sub-area, as part of the local energy transition.

The growing number of electric vehicles in Belgium raises questions about fire safety in parking lots. The "Rule of Good Workmanship - Fire Safety" from vzw Fireforum already anticipates a new RD and is a good guide to take preventive measures.

The Belgian Construction Awards, organized by bouwkroniek, aims to highlight and reward the craftsmanship of the construction industry. With the BIMVISIBLE APP, we achieved a great second place in the Innovation Process/IT category.

On Feb. 21, the Bruges City Council approved the 2030 Climate Plan. Ingenium was part of the Panel of Experts that calculated what the city needs to be climate neutral by 2050.

The Schouwburg in Kortrijk is an important cultural hotspot, which is now undergoing a thorough renovation. Important architectural points of attention in the renovation and conversion are: accessibility, a new theater, sustainability and creativity with attention to heritage value.

Ghent University's faculty of political and social sciences recently moved into the Technicum, located in Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat between the UFO and the student restaurant De Brug.

Flanders imposes a renovation requirement for all non-residential buildings with a new owner as of Jan. 1, 2022. Large non-residential buildings must also use at least 5 percent renewable energy within the five years of purchase starting Jan. 1, 2023.

In recent years it has regularly surfaced in our media: water is becoming a scarce commodity. There are various sustainable alternatives to save on expensive drinking water. The projects De Nieuwe Dokken in Ghent and Hof Van Saeys in Dendermonde are textbook examples of what is possible in this area.

Technical operation: how to manage it more clearly? The operation of a building constitutes a major cost item from its completion. Expenses are mainly replacement investments, optimizations around comfort, energy efficiency and compliance with environmental requirements, including a gradual transition to CO2 neutrality. Efficient investment and cost management requires all-round data-based technical management of operations.

Europe wants to be emission-free by 2050. Since the existing building stock is responsible for 36 percent of those emissions, that is where the key lies. Therefore, the EU mandates a smart building management system for medium- and large-scale buildings by 2025. Next steps may include SMART certificates and a Campus or Site Management System, where buildings exchange energy needs and surpluses.

In the "Carousel Agriculture" project, the laboratories and offices of the KU Leuven Agricultural Institute are being redesigned. This with a renewal of all techniques.

Like Ingenium, many of our customers are currently developing large-scale charging infrastructure for their current, as well as future, electric vehicle fleets.

To be carbon-neutral by 2050, the Green Deal wants Europe to emit a net 55 percent less CO2 than in 1990 by 2030. Building heating plays an important role in this. A heat zoning map per municipality or area - now "inspiration map" - is a first step in preparing for the transition. For concrete policy, however, a heat policy plan is needed. What are the focal points in this? What role does psychology play in this story? And what is the link with mobility?

COP 26 in Glasgow will hopefully bring the attention of world leaders back to the gigantic challenge posed by climate transition. As a European organization, with top engineering companies in each country, the FIRST Q network definitely wants to do its part in making the building stock more sustainable, responsible for 40% of global CO2 emissions.

With the partnership DEVI, 4 experienced West Flemish players in the construction sector are joining forces to be stronger in large industrial (refurbishment) construction projects of Belgian and foreign clients. "Our clients are technical people. So are we. So there is quick mutual understanding," Frederik Moortgat (Establis) and Bart Verplancke (Industrium) tell us.