ZIN: The perfect cocktail of circular construction and energy neutrality
ZIN: The perfect cocktail of circular construction and energy neutrality
Equans has been responsible for the maintenance of the prestigious ZIN project for 18 years
In 2018, BEFIMMO filed a permit for the ZIN project, the redevelopment of the WTC site on Avenue Simon Bolivar, in the heart of Brussels’s northern district. This innovative project aims to redevelop the iconic WTC I and II towers. ZIN is a multifunctional project spanning around 110,000 m² above ground, including 75,000 m² of office space, 14,000 m² of housing, 16,000 m² of hotel space, and areas for coworking, sports, leisure, hotels, restaurants, cafés, and retail. Equans has signed a general maintenance contract for the project.
A multifunctional living environment: offices, apartments, hotel, and coworking space
The project involves the construction of a new central volume linking the two existing towers, thereby creating 14 floors entirely dedicated to office space. The intermediate floors, located in the existing towers, will be occupied by apartments to the east and a hotel to the west. This mixed purpose will create a building where there is always activity, with different users occupying the spaces at different times. In this way, ZIN will fully contribute to the development of a new dynamic in the north of Brussels.
Soft & hard services
For some Equans employees, this project is a bit like a homecoming. Their old offices were located in the WTC towers. In July 2021, Equans signed an 18-year maintenance contract for the ZIN project. Alain Dekairelle and Benoit Kelecom, respectively Sector Manager and Energy Engineer at Equans, explain. “The contract is twofold: on the one hand, our Equans teams are responsible for maintaining the technical installations, and on the other, we act as advisors and supervise the design and installation of the technical equipment as part of the maintenance. The plan is to have an Equans maintenance team active on site, comprising an Operation Manager, a team leader, and specialist technicians as from the end of 2023, after the provisional handover.”
"Thanks to our DBFMO team, Equans has been able to provide ongoing support throughout the project’s construction, from 2018 up until now. Maintenance includes both hard & soft services. As far as hard services are concerned, we are responsible for the maintenance and management of the technical installations, as well as providing energy management and ensuring customer comfort. Assignments are based on strict service level agreements. Soft services include cleaning communal areas, window cleaning, maintaining the landscaping, pest control, and general maintenance services. This approach enables us to provide a comprehensive service to our customers, allowing them to concentrate fully on their core business.”
Sophisticated energy concept
Equans was involved in developing the concept and designing the facilities. The main aim was to achieve a completely gas-free building, with gas only being used in exceptional or emergency circumstances. The energy concept will include geothermal energy and a water-to-soil exchange system.
“It’s a technique that uses an open system that pumps groundwater and, after a heat exchange, reinjects it into the soil,” explains Arnaud Massange. “To be able to refer to a building as energy-neutral, we need no less than 1,703,828 kWh of electricity. A system of solar panels on the roof and solar panels built into the façade will generate some of the electricity needed.”
Smart Enterprice Application Platform
In terms of energy and comfort, the Equans team will keep its finger on the pulse thanks to a building management system (BMS). The choice fell to a Smart Enterprise Application Platform (SEAP) that integrates all technologies in a BIM environment.
Verhoeven explains, “In addition to monitoring elements such as HVAC, lighting, safety, comfort conditions or energy consumption, the SEAP also includes smart services such as occupancy measurement, smart cleaning, smart parking, or smart meeting rooms. Finally, we will also adopt a BIM approach to operations, creating a link between the BIM model and our maintenance activities.”
Durable and modular
The principles of circular construction are at the heart of the ZIN project. The aim is to reduce the amount of waste by preserving as much of the existing building as possible (underground floors, foundations, and circulation cores), and to give a new life to elements that will not be used on site by recycling them or using them elsewhere. On the other hand, the new materials used in construction are durable and have low levels of pollution.
In addition, a public greenhouse is currently in the final stages of construction, the purpose of which is to improve the urban space of the northern district. Special techniques specific to the greenhouse are also included in the Equans maintenance contract, enabling integrated management of the equipment.
Circularity also means designing buildings over several life cycles, with long-term flexibility to meet new future needs.
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