ready. You are currently on: Working in a circular building Sustainability at The Agency for Facility Operations
Working in a circular building
Attractive employer branding, employee well-being, and efficient functioning of the Flemish government
The Belpaire Building offers a vibrant and dynamic environment that invites working, collaborating, and connecting. With a restaurant, a coffee bar, and inspiring brainstorming spaces, it creates a valuable workplace.
By consolidating five locations into a single site for over 4,800 civil servants, housing costs have been significantly reduced.
The building is part of the “Zin In Noord project”, developed by Befimmo. Its unique ‘zebra’ concept, alternating office, hotel, and residential floors, sets it apart from other buildings. The design is flexible and adaptable, enabling rapid response to changing needs.
An inspiring example of sustainability, circularity, and accessibility
The building is more than just a workplace for civil servants. The Belpaire Building perfectly illustrates how the Flemish government aims to inspire and encourage citizens, businesses, and organizations to find new solutions for societal changes.
Thanks to advanced insulation, a geothermal cold-heat storage system, energy exchange with the residential units and hotel within the building, and solar panels installed on both the facades and the roof, the building achieves an impressive E-level of only 15!
Water is maximally recovered for internal use. Drainage water, alongside rainwater, is used for sanitation, plant irrigation, and cooling systems. Moreover, the water is shared with the Brussels city’s public gardening department.
95% of the old materials were preserved, recovered, or recycled on-site. Overall, 68% of the new building consists of reused or recycled materials sourced locally. With this building, the Agency for Facility Operations demonstrates that urban mining is possible by preserving and reusing materials, minimizing waste from new construction, and avoiding transportation and processing of these materials.
By requiring Cradle-to-Cradle (C2C) certification for newly introduced materials, the market was challenged to develop new methods that are also sustainable for the future. More than 30 new materials were developed in this process. These materials are now available on the market and can be used by others (such as carpets, raised floors, partition walls, façade elements, balustrades, stairs, etc.).
The Agency for Facility Operations is aiming for the highest accessibility rating, A++, for the Belpaire Building. This means the building can be reached, entered, used, and understood by everyone, without distinction or assistance.
Facility Project of the Year
The Agency for Facility Operations won the Facility Project of the Year award for the Marie-Elisabeth Belpaire Building, presented by Belfa (the professional association for facility management). The Belpaire Building is an exemplary model of circularity, energy efficiency, accessibility, and outstanding facility services.
This project contributes to the following SDG's
