From Four Campuses to One Health Village

Hospitals are steadily evolving from scattered pavilions to concentrated, efficient campuses where care, logistics, and maintenance are integrated. For AZ Groeninge, this meant relocating from four sites in downtown Kortrijk to a single new-construction site along the Kennedylaan.

The vision went beyond mere consolidation: the new hospital had to be future-proof in terms of capacity, comfort, and energy efficiency, with an explicit focus on sustainable construction and eventual energy neutrality.

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Comprehensive design spanning three construction phases

Ingenium designed all of the technical systems for the three successive construction phases between 2003 and 2025. This phased approach placed specific demands on the flexibility and scalability of the systems: new construction phases had to integrate with existing infrastructure without interrupting patient care.

For each phase, Ingenium provided the full range of services: HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), electrical systems (including the high-voltage loop and emergency power supply), plumbing and fire protection, elevators, medical gases, pneumatic tube systems, building management system (BMS), kitchen installations, and support for medical equipment. In addition, the parking garage with approximately 1,850 spaces, including smoke and heat exhaust, plumbing, fire protection, and elevators.

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Construction Phase 1 (2003–2010): four patient wings + medical-technical unit

The project included approximately 380 beds, 11 operating rooms, a recovery area, an intensive care unit, a pharmacy, a maternity ward, and a radiology department, totaling 33,000 m² of gross floor area. Ingenium designed all technical systems and laid the foundation for sustainability by integrating ground-to-air heat exchangers, which preheat or pre-cool the ventilation air using the stable temperature of the subsoil. Technical budget: 20 million EUR, excluding VAT.

Construction Phase 2 (2011–2017): large-scale BTES, CHP, and parking garage

At 78,000 m² , the campus more than doubled in size. Ingenium intensified its focus on sustainability by designing 237 BEO boreholes 60 meters deep (borehole energy storage, also known as shallow geothermal energy), combined with heat pumps for highly efficient heating and cooling. The ground acts as a seasonal thermal buffer: excess heat from the summer is stored and reused in the winter via the heat pumps to heat the hospital. The installation also included a combined heat and power (CHP) system and a parking garage with 1,850 spaces. The building achieved a K-level of 34. Technical budget: 58 million EUR, excluding VAT.

Construction Phase 3 (2020–2025): Conclusion with a Fossil-Free Roadmap

The final phase of the 11,000 m² (L-shaped wing, three stories plus a basement) made it possible to complete the fourth and final historic campus. Ingenium adhered to all previously developed concepts and integrated the new systems with the existing heating and cooling infrastructure, medical gas supply, and high-voltage loop. In addition, the team developed a technical strategy for AZ Groeninge to eventually heat the entire hospital without fossil fuels. This strategy included, among other things, a study on expanding the “ BTES ” and further electrification of the heating and cooling systems. Technical budget: 10 million EUR, excluding VAT.

Solar Power System in Five Phases: 3.1 MWp, Equivalent to 1,050 Households

In addition to the building systems, Ingenium designed a 3.1 MWp PV system in a separate project, spread across five phases. The system generates electricity equivalent to the annual consumption of an average of 1,050 households. Phases I through IV are operational; Phase V (for construction phase 3) is in the planning phase. A notable feature is the versatile mix: carports, PV on green roofs, and lightweight adhesive-bonded panels on membrane roofs—all integrated into the architecture. Ingenium also coordinated the interaction with other decentralized sources on the site (diesel generators, CHP) and the connection to the distribution grid via Fluvius remote control cabinets.

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Result: Future-proof infrastructure with scalability

Thanks to the phased approach and comprehensive technical responsibility, AZ Groeninge had operational systems at each stage of completion that integrated seamlessly with the existing infrastructure. The selected concepts—BEO, heat pumps, CHP, and extensive PV—provide the necessary scalability and make further electrification and decarbonization technically feasible. Ingenium remains involved in the energy roadmap to achieve the goal of full energy neutrality.

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