Grontmij was also responsible for building permits, tender documents & evaluation, site supervision, an energy assessment report (EPB regulation), safety coordination and the overall project management.

Sustainable business development
In Belgium, Umicore is willing to play a pioneering role in ‘sustainable business development’. In Flanders the European energy level requirements for buildings are set to a maximum energy consumption level of E100 ( which will be be E80 by 2010). This number (called E-level) is in fact the proportion between the demand of energy of a certain building and the demand of energy that a standard building may have to pursue the same comfort. 

In this project, Grontmij took the opportunity to develop sustainable engineering & design concepts. The main objective was to realise buildings with a  E0 energy level.  This means that a high comfort building is conceived that demands as much energy as it produces in an annual period. First the energy requirements are reduced to a E30 level by the following measures: compact building volume, cellulose insulation, high air tightness, fixed sun protection, optimal glass surface areas and orientation. Furthermore, energy will be produced on location to fulfil the buildings’ remaining needs. For this purpose technical solutions involving the use of photovoltaic cells, a heat pump, ground-air heat exchangers and concrete core activation were provided.

Facts

• Customer: Umicore, Substraten office in Olen, Belgium
• Conceptual design: October 2007
• Design: 2008
• Actual buidling: 2008 - 2009
• Finished by: 2009