Liege University Hospital assigns tower 7 to VK, Pierre Maes and Pierre Berger

The new building was designated a specific location at the back of the campus with unique views of the Ourthe Valley. Because of the location and the levelling differences, the building has a north-south orientation. The south facade, which overlooks the Ourthe valley, can be made maximum use of for the rooms of the nursing units and the emergency and intensive care units. This approach doubles the number of rooms getting sunlight. Between the nursing units, covered patios optimally disperse daylight.

At the same time, the design saves 10% on walking distances, i.e. 2 kilometres per day per person.

The specific attention paid to the building envelope and to climatic variations was particularly appreciated by the jury, in addition to the purely functional performance, flow management and creative solutions. Together with the focus on general well-being and comfort for all users, as well as safety aspects, our design clearly made the difference.

The design implies a zero energy ambition across different applications. Renewable energy, such as solar panels and heat pumps, meet part of the demand. In addition, part of the outgoing energy flows will be recuperated via the intelligent facade and the patios connected to it. For the project, the HQE method is applied.