Sweco Belgium
Brussels University Hospital unveils vibrant clinical services building
At the university hospital campus of UZ Brussel, the heart of the hospital is no longer invisible. The new clinical services building, located right next to the VUB Health Campus in Jette, provides doctors, patients, and students with a sparkling view. This marks an important new step in the reorganization of the campus. VK architects+engineers, part of Sweco, has been guiding UZ Brussel in this significant development as a master planner and multidisciplinary architecture and engineering partner since 2008.
The clinical services building forms a crucial part of the long-term campus renewal. This beating heart accommodates all critical services, stacked and connected on spacious plateaus: an intervention plateau linked to a surgical day hospital, intensive services, medical imaging, and beneath that, supporting services such as pharmacy and central sterilization. Additionally, adjacent to the existing radiation bunkers, the oncology center has been reimagined, as well as an efficient low- and high-care dialysis center.
Spatial plan UZ Brussel: a living document
UZ Brussel faces several challenges that hinder the organization. Space shortages, fragmented services, circulation, and parking issues are familiar to a hospital that has been active for 40 years and grows organically.
VK architects+engineers, part of Sweco, developed a spatial plan for a future-oriented healthcare strategy. This living document highlights the urgent need for various services to expand and reorganize, aiming for optimal separation of different flows.
The so-called spatial plan envisions a modern, logical, and accessible hospital. By 2029, UZ Brussel aims to create no less than 67,000 m² of renewed care, of which 20,000 m² is an expansion. Our project team employs a carefully planned phasing strategy to ensure that UZ Brussel can continue to function as efficiently as possible during the prolonged renewal.
Hub of all clinical activities
By redesigning the campus, the space plan aims to optimally support the future-oriented healthcare strategy and development. As one of the two major sub-projects, the clinical services building will centralize all services, previously scattered across the campus, into an impressive volume.
This reorganization brings numerous challenges, especially when high-tech, vital departments are involved. The commissioning of the clinical services building will therefore proceed in phases over a longer period. Since 2020, patients have already been receiving the best care in a high-tech hybrid operating room and four new catheterization rooms. Ultimately, the operating area will house a total of seventeen hyper-modern rooms, including three hybrid rooms. By 2029, the entire clinical services building will be operational with all the aforementioned critical services.
Timeless with a wink
The exterior of the clinical services building has been completed. Materials and colors ensure seamless integration into the existing built environment. Ceramic tiles with relief and varying heights enliven the facades of the modest volume. Deep-set window strips in dark aluminum enhance the dynamics: they cut through the facade and introduce a strong contrast.
The pure and contemporary appearance contains a playful element in the west facade, with its striking sun shading, which also serves as an integrated artwork. The vertical movable slats display a subtle color gradation across the entire facade length, breaking the monochrome building volume.
The new clinical services building heralds a new era for UZ Brussel, on the way to a renewed, accessible, and humane campus by 2029.
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