Bewel

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  • Location: Diepenbeek, Belgium
  • Program: Offices
  • Area: 1.600 m²
  • Year: 2023
  • Status: Realized

Bewel is a tailor-made company that employs people with a distance to the labor market. People with passion, dedication, and the qualities to perform and optimize the most diverse tasks or processes of companies.

With 2,200 employees and 9 locations, Bewel is one of the largest employers in Limburg. They not only work in their workshops but also on the shop floor of customers in various sectors.

The current head office in Diepenbeek no longer meets modern energy standards and the contemporary comfort of a working environment.

Bewel, therefore, decided to resolutely opt for a new office that will play a pioneering role in innovation, circularity, and sustainability. In addition, the new building lends itself perfectly to the new way of working by providing flexible workplaces, among other things.

Beforehand, the people of Bewel who will be using the new head office were extensively questioned to optimally tailor the design to their wishes. An ambassador was sent from each department of Bewel. They were given the necessary input and could thus contribute to a custom design.

A request for design, construction, technical maintenance, and energy performance guarantee was put on the market. The contract was awarded to the consortium Artem, UAU Collectiv, and Van Roey Services. Bewel and the consortium enter into a commitment as partners to keep the total costs as low as possible for the next 20 years.

Bewel rightly has big plans for the site in Diepenbeek. The new infrastructure will accommodate the central services flexibly and commercially. With the new building and the redesign of the entire site, Bewel is also visible to its surroundings and the new office is an eye-catcher with its character and specific appearance.

The final design is a simple yet ingenious building structure that prioritizes flexibility, massiveness, and inertia. The principle of flexibility is also continued in the facade. This can be seen as independent of the concrete skeleton and consists entirely of glass. In this way, the workplaces also have a beautiful view of the outside environment, which contributes to a better spatial experience in the building.

The big advantage is the natural light. Research shows that the amount of daylight contributes significantly to the health/happiness of the employee and therefore also his or her productivity.

The building will be provided with an iconic and monumental canopy no less than 8 meters wide. This filters the light on the facade and prevents overheating in summer and in between seasons.

The end result is a pavilion that will embed itself in the landscape. The glass facade of 7.50 meters high and the canopy of 8 meters give the total volume a monumental and iconic proportion. The symmetrical approach in the floor plan and flexible floor plates give the opportunity to freely determine the layout and to adapt it in the future in a simple way. The same applies to the exterior facade and the techniques.

Finally, a clear and simple circulation is essential to organize the entire site. By separating trucks and cars from slow road users, we make maximum efforts to ensure road safety. We will provide the necessary green areas between the different buildings on the site (now characterized by a lot of concrete) to promote the well-being of both visitors and employees.