Quality healthcare ready for the future
Saint-Joseph is a brand new care campus in Ekeren, a multifunctional care institution that houses a boarding school, classrooms, various therapy spaces, and outdoor areas. For the study and installation of the techniques, main contractor Van Roey called upon Equans. Having a single point of contact for all techniques and associated expertise proved to be a major advantage.
This summer, the special education institution Saint-Joseph will move into its brand-new campus in Ekeren. Students from the specialised primary school “Het Sas” and the specialised secondary school “De Tjalk” will be welcomed at Saint-Joseph in classrooms fully designed to meet their needs. Thanks to the care facility “Heder”, which includes a rehabilitation center with a swimming pool, a laboratory, a boarding school, a specialised nursery, a center for day care, and a hotel, the new Saint-Joseph care campus offers a comprehensive range of services and care on a prime location.
Crucial study phase
The new campus located in the Rozenmaai district in Ekeren provides a stark contrast to the previous location. The building was designed with the future in mind. Greenery, tranquility, comfort, and sustainability take center stage. In line with this vision, the choice was made for a wooden frame construction with cross-laminated timber (CLT). "The choice of a CLT frame makes the project very specific," explains Thomas Van Royen, project manager at Equans. "Not only is it a sustainable material, but it also creates a sense of calm and warmth in the building. Moreover, CLT offers a very pleasant acoustics, especially compared to concrete. This makes it particularly suitable for the needs of a campus like St. Joseph's".
The wooden frame made the project exceptional, but also brought additional challenges. "The frame construction is done using prefabricated elements, which makes the study phase very important." Equans played an active role during this crucial initial phase of the project. For example, Equans ensured that all slots and cuts were properly planned in the prefabricated elements and made the right choices for fixing techniques in advance. "Thanks to the study phase, we were able to minimize subsequent adjustments to an absolute minimum," says Thomas Van Royen.
Under one roof
The St-Joseph care campus includes very specialized and varied functions. This translates into equally varied requirements for techniques. That is why main contractor Van Roey entrusted the installation of all techniques to Equans. A deliberate choice because working with a single partner makes communication during the execution of the work smoother. "Previous collaborations with Van Roey have already proven the usefulness of a central contact point," explains Thomas Van Royen.
For every aspect of execution, Equans was able to rely on the expertise and experience of its own internal services. Even for very specialized assignments, such as the treatment of water in the rehabilitation pool. Thomas Van Royen: "It turned out to be a great advantage to be able to rely on the different internal technical services of Equans. This collaboration made not only the preparation and study phase but also the execution itself exceptionally smooth."
In particular, for the design and installation of the HVAC system, internal collaboration proved to be a major asset. "HVAC is part of our Smart Buildings department, which combines knowledge of electricity, data, and HVAC. During the installation of the HVAC system, we worked with prefabricated collectors. Here too, we benefited from being closely involved in the preliminary design of the project." Thus, Equans' internal collaboration enabled an exceptionally smooth execution of the design and installation project for the St. Joseph care campus.
Energy expertise
Equans ensured the complete installation of the electrical supply, including medium voltage and distribution cabinets, as well as fire detection and alarm systems, the installation of the telephone system and wifi network. For the HVAC part, Equans took care of the installation of all pipes, ventilation and heating solutions, air handling units, etc. Equans also took care of the installation of solar panels and heat pumps.
"The building is designed so that the overall energy performance remains below an E-level of 30," says Thomas Van Royen. "Thanks to the knowledge and experience of our Smart Buildings department, we were able to achieve this." The choice of variable LED lighting fits into this picture. Thanks to the use of variable flow rates, the entire HVAC system also contributes to the low E-level, as the system does not have to be constantly active.
Meticulous management
The new campus has been built with comfort in mind, both now and in the future. This is reflected not only in the design and chosen materials, but also in the way the facilities are managed. Equans installed a modern building management system for this purpose, making Saint-Joseph a smart campus. And again, this was done without losing sight of the building's specific function.
"Take the alarm system as an example," says Thomas Van Royen. "Normally we would use a siren, but here we opted for speakers so that quick and clear instructions can be given, adapted to the students." In an emergency situation, these instructions must be clearly audible. Once again, the acoustic quality of the CLT skeleton is an additional asset.
In conclusion, the construction of the new St. Joseph care campus is a great example of success thanks to the effective collaboration between the different partners and technical services of Equans. Thanks to its expertise, Equans was able to implement innovative systems for building management and sustainable energy techniques. The result is a comfortable and intelligent building, designed to meet the needs of current and future residents.
