AG Insurance 'Reinvent the workplace'
AG Insurance has launched a renovation program for existing buildings "Reinvent the Workplace" to improve the comfort of users while allowing them to intensify their use, leading to a reduction in CO2 emissions.
Client AG Insurance
Location Office buildings between Avenue Emile Jacqmain and Rue Neuve, Brussels
Surface area 45,000m2
Timing
Budget
AG Insurance 'Reinvent the workplace'
Context and objective
Since the corona crisis, the way office work is organized has changed significantly. Daily physical presence is no longer a matter of course, which led AG Insurance to look for a new office concept that remains attractive to hybrid employees. In Brussels, it was decided to reduce the number of office buildings from four to two, both located between Boulevard Emile Jacqmain and Rue Neuve. These buildings, 20 to 30 years old, needed technical modernization to meet new expectations around flexibility, comfort and sustainability.
Phasedapproach
The project started in the summer of 2021 with an energy audit in which, based on as-built documents, site visits and employee feedback, a first assessment of potentially energy-friendly interventions was made. A comprehensive feasibility study followed in late 2021 in which not only the cost and CO₂ gains per intervention were examined, but also the structural, acoustic and technical feasibility. Based on this, AG Insurance chose to work out one type of floor per building in a pilot project. In early 2022, a detailed study was drawn up for this, including specifications and refined plans. A key component was a dynamic ventilation system with sensors for CO₂ monitoring and a capacity for about two hundred employees per floor. This test setup has since been successfully completed. The HR department is now working out the final layouts of the remaining floors with the interior architect, while the technical designs are being prepared in parallel.
Sustainability and payback period
Since the building envelope of the buildings remains unchanged, the added value is mainly in the technical optimizations. The CO₂ reduction due to the new installations is estimated at about 30 percent, while comfort and quality of use are greatly improved, increasing the rental value of the buildings. Based on these parameters, the total investment for the two buildings, together representing 45,000 m², will be recouped in just over ten years. The potential increase in employee satisfaction among AG Insurance's 4,400 employees represents an additional benefit that makes the project even more sustainable.
Continuity and implementation
An important principle in this project is that business activities can continue during the works: about half of the office space will remain in continuous use. To make this possible, work is being phased in both the study and execution phases. By not waiting for the end of rental cycles or the lifetime of existing installations, the transition to more energy-efficient buildings can be significantly accelerated. Thanks to this step-by-step approach, renovations are carried out with maximum efficiency and the impact on the company's daily operations remains limited.
In particular, the planned interventions include the replacement of the existing air treatment plants with new dual-flow plants with heat recovery on the extracted air, part of the production systems - including air-to-water and water-to-water heat pumps - and the construction of new distribution networks and the installation of new terminal equipment.
Within the framework of this project, Ingenium carried out the following studies:
- Study, design, tender file, follow-up of the works, commissioning upon delivery, budget control - and this for the following techniques:
o HVAC
o SANITAIR
o ELECTRICITY
- Alternative energies - feasibility study
- Energy audit
AG Insurance 'Reinvent the workplace'
AG Insurance has launched a renovation program for existing buildings "Reinvent the Workplace" to improve the comfort of users while allowing them to intensify their use, leading to a reduction in CO2 emissions.
Client AG Insurance
Location Office buildings between Avenue Emile Jacqmain and Rue Neuve, Brussels
Surface area 45,000m2
Timing
Budget
AG Insurance 'Reinvent the workplace'
Context and objective
Since the corona crisis, the way office work is organized has changed significantly. Daily physical presence is no longer a matter of course, which led AG Insurance to look for a new office concept that remains attractive to hybrid employees. In Brussels, it was decided to reduce the number of office buildings from four to two, both located between Boulevard Emile Jacqmain and Rue Neuve. These buildings, 20 to 30 years old, needed technical modernization to meet new expectations around flexibility, comfort and sustainability.
Phasedapproach
The project started in the summer of 2021 with an energy audit in which, based on as-built documents, site visits and employee feedback, a first assessment of potentially energy-friendly interventions was made. A comprehensive feasibility study followed in late 2021 in which not only the cost and CO₂ gains per intervention were examined, but also the structural, acoustic and technical feasibility. Based on this, AG Insurance chose to work out one type of floor per building in a pilot project. In early 2022, a detailed study was drawn up for this, including specifications and refined plans. A key component was a dynamic ventilation system with sensors for CO₂ monitoring and a capacity for about two hundred employees per floor. This test setup has since been successfully completed. The HR department is now working out the final layouts of the remaining floors with the interior architect, while the technical designs are being prepared in parallel.
Sustainability and payback period
Since the building envelope of the buildings remains unchanged, the added value is mainly in the technical optimizations. The CO₂ reduction due to the new installations is estimated at about 30 percent, while comfort and quality of use are greatly improved, increasing the rental value of the buildings. Based on these parameters, the total investment for the two buildings, together representing 45,000 m², will be recouped in just over ten years. The potential increase in employee satisfaction among AG Insurance's 4,400 employees represents an additional benefit that makes the project even more sustainable.
Continuity and implementation
An important principle in this project is that business activities can continue during the works: about half of the office space will remain in continuous use. To make this possible, work is being phased in both the study and execution phases. By not waiting for the end of rental cycles or the lifetime of existing installations, the transition to more energy-efficient buildings can be significantly accelerated. Thanks to this step-by-step approach, renovations are carried out with maximum efficiency and the impact on the company's daily operations remains limited.
In particular, the planned interventions include the replacement of the existing air treatment plants with new dual-flow plants with heat recovery on the extracted air, part of the production systems - including air-to-water and water-to-water heat pumps - and the construction of new distribution networks and the installation of new terminal equipment.
Within the framework of this project, Ingenium carried out the following studies:
- Study, design, tender file, follow-up of the works, commissioning upon delivery, budget control - and this for the following techniques:
o HVAC
o SANITAIR
o ELECTRICITY
- Alternative energies - feasibility study
- Energy audit
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