Total transformation – traditional style
Volkswagen D’Ieteren Finance is the result of a fusion between D’Ieteren Lease and Volkswagen Bank. Until recently, the employees worked at the administrative centre in Louvain but early July, they moved into their new offices in Kortenberg. This radical renovation was the final major component of the total renovation project called D’Ieteren Park, where edibo was in charge of several of the subprojects.
“When we started out in March 2024, the building was still in its original state: a traditional concrete structure, three stories high, serving as the base for a comprehensive transformation”, Wout Dilissen clarifies.
“Our assignment was to completely strip the entire building, inside and out, and to rebuild everything to become a modern, visually appealing, energy-efficient and acoustically high-performing business complex; according to conventional construction methods no less.”
“We also built a new, decorative concrete construction with integrated lighting adjacent to the main building, serving as a covered walkway.”
Challenges along the way
If you say edibo, you say ‘challenging buildings’ in the same breath. Which challenges in this project stood out the most for the Site Manager?
1. Demolition to the bone
“The demolition stage was particularly drastic. We broke up the entire central foundation of the building by suspending an excavator into a mobile crane, all the way from the roof structure to the ground level. We needed to guarantee maximum site safety at the same time, which was no walk in the park. Furthermore, we were required to check and double-check all the support structures (struts and props) daily due to the heavy vibrations of the excavators affecting the scaffolding connections.”
2. Masonry to the millimetre
“Contrary to industrial new construction, we provided the building with a traditional concrete façade. The existing metal façade cladding had to make way for a complex pattern of horizontal and vertical façade modules.”
“The biggest challenge here was installing the windows before we fitted the façade modules. This is usually the other way around. Every window needed to be aligned perfectly with the façade modules, up to the very millimetre. For that reason, we decided to commission our own surveyor. If a window was off for only a few centimetres, the entire masonry would look incongruous.”
3. Acoustics prioritised
A final major challenge came from the interior finishing. “The building was given a modern, industrial look while requiring strong acoustic insulation. No easy task considering how the open ceilings with visible lines could create acoustic leaks throughout the building. To make sure everything was up to standard, we performed an elaborate series of acoustics tests.”
Typical edibo?
How were our constructive challengers able to make a difference, according to Wout Dilissen? “By our willingness to think outside the box in a construction framework that was rather conventional. Our team has had a flexible and proactive attitude from the beginning in the collaboration with the often many other parties on site; definitely so in the finishing stage.”
“And don’t forget: with this project, we are aiming for a BREEAM Outstanding Certificate. In order to comply with the high durability requirements, we played at a top level even from the preliminary stage to minimise our ecological footprint.”
Atypical renovation plans – edibo has you covered
Are you looking for a partner who is able to think proactively, act flexibly and who takes on their responsibility, even when your industrial project is radical and non-conventional? From demolition to finishing?
Our constructive challengers will happily employ their broad specialist knowledge to make sure your project is a success. Contact us and discover how together we can accomplish your renovation or new construction plans.