A renowned American pharmaceutical company will soon begin further developing a promising therapy in Zwijnaarde. Ingenium developed the design and concept for the high-tech cleanroom facilities, as well as the office and logistics spaces, in the Obelisc building.

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Obelisc is the third bio-accelerator in the Zwijnaarde Technology Park and is adjacent to the new buildings of VIB. The pharmaceutical company will move into a section of the building. To further develop the therapy, the company will soon occupy various spaces in the Obelisc building. In addition to the cleanroom area, a logistics zone, an associated research area, and a training center are also planned. Furthermore, an additional floor is planned to house the entire technical area for the cleanrooms’ air handling and the support zone.

The Obelisc building was originally designed to house a laboratory and office space, but the arrival of the pharmaceutical giant also created a need for cleanrooms. To make this possible, numerous architectural and technical adjustments were required. This called for extensive consultation and coordination with the structural engineers and other construction partners.

In the design we developed for the technical systems, in addition to the “traditional systems”—HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and specialty gases—we also included a liquid nitrogen system. Due to the strict safety and security requirements—for both people and products—the entire building was also equipped with an additional sprinkler system.

The timeline for this project was very tight. For that reason, the detailed design of the technical systems was carried out in close collaboration with the contractors under a design-and-build model. Construction and outfitting of the cleanrooms were completed in mid-2022, and work has since begun on the validation and qualification of the research facilities.

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