Willy Naessens Industriebouw builds CO2-neutral sports hall in Gavere

In the previous edition of this magazine (May-June 2024) we learned about the sustainable ambitions of Willy Naessens Industriebouw. The well-known industrial builder from Wortegem-Petegem continues to pioneer in energy-efficient (re)construction. You can admire an innovative example of a design&build project in Gavere, East Flanders. There, the construction team was given a year to build an energy-efficient sports hall. Mission accomplished!

The first stone of the sports complex was laid in October 2022. Barely a year later, the official opening took place of the Scaldis sports hall, right next to the Scheldt River. Its location along the water created fantastic opportunities to construct a sustainable building. "The municipality wanted a building that would be heated without gas or fuel," says Emiel De Winter, project manager at Willy Naessens Technics. "We opted for aquathermy and use the heat from the Scheldt water to heat the sports hall. That water has a fairly constant temperature throughout the year. We notice that this innovative technique is becoming increasingly popular in Flanders. In Dutch construction projects, it is already more established." Colleague Mathias Gheeraert, department head of Willy Naessens Technics, adds: "The use of heat pumps is usually associated with geothermal or air-to-air systems. The traditional air conditioners, so to speak. Here it is different. Water from the Scheldt, through a heat exchanger, exchanges heat (or coolness) with water controlled by a heat pump. Thus, the entire building is heated and cooled. This approach fits perfectly with our out-of-the-box approach to reconciling sustainability and functionality with our customers. In practice, CO₂-neutrality at the top of customers' wish lists in many construction files, always combined, of course, with optimum comfort."

Fossil-free power generation

The breakthrough of heat pump technology with geo- or aquethermal, is partly "due" to the energy crisis that rocked the industry in recent years. "Self-generating energy has become a no-brainer for entrepreneurs with building dreams," Emiel said. 

"The Gouverneur city council was also striving for fossil-free energy generation in its brand-new sports complex. From Willy Naessens Technics, we were happy to meet this demand. In the past, the number of solar panels installed was usually limited to the bare minimum. Today, we see that roof surfaces are used to their maximum potential, resulting in much lower energy bills. Solar panels are also becoming increasingly efficient. A peak capacity of 500 watt peak is no longer an exception. In addition, they also deliver ever better yields, regardless of their orientation."

"Also fitting into this framework is the smart procurement of energy, with possible investments in battery storage," Mathias confirms. "Although we have to admit that this technology is not really breaking through in Flanders yet, perhaps partly due to the high investment costs for battery systems. Together with external partners, we at Willy Naessens Technics are studying how this technology will evolve in the future."

Circular building with pioneering concept

Besides innovative 'design&build' projects such as Scaldis, Willy Naessens Industriebouw also sets the bar high in the field of circular (re)construction. This is evidenced by the new concept The Circle, created from the pillar of 'vertical integration' in which Willy Naessens Industriebouw has been a leader for many years.

"The Circle is composed of one hundred demountable and circular building blocks, of which 70 percent are reusable without modification and 25 percent are recyclable," Mathias explains. "From each building block we make a life cycle analysis. This should help developers achieve BREEAM scores within building projects. It also provides favorable financing conditions for investors and contributes to European sustainability goals."

"We launched the concept in April of this year," concludes Emiel. "For logistics construction projects, there are unique opportunities for circular construction here. During a design session, with a specially developed 3D web tool, we manage to put a final design on the table within two hours: a demountable, industrial building in which all specifications, dimensions and costs per component are known. We continue to invest heavily in innovation in industrial construction! We also applied sustainable construction to the recent expansion of our own office building in Wortegem-Petegem."  

Visit Willy Naessens Industriebouw at Transport & Logistics - Stand 1313