Ghent University Hospital: new standard in care and sustainability
About
Over the past 60 years, this university hospital campus has grown into an organic whole with 40 buildings. This poses ever greater challenges for the workforce and for future developments. A master plan provides a much-needed rationalisation of available space.
Challenge
On the one hand, the master plan must bring uniformity to a campus that is partly preserved. On the other hand, green space must be maximised. In the process, the university hospital will remain in full operation. Future-oriented also means high sustainable ambitions.
Solution
A central hospital in timeless and sober architecture will be integrated between the existing wings in phases. All traffic is directed underground as much as possible, in order to transform the unbuilt areas into a park. Numerous interventions will make the entire campus carbon-neutral by 2050.
The result will be an innovative, intelligent and CO2-neutral health campus, ready for the future.
Simon Ossieur, project director healthcare, VK architects+engineers, part of Sweco
UZ Gent has appointed VK architects+engineers, part of Sweco, to design an integrated master plan and the new building of UZ Gent. The assignment includes the realisation of a number of preparatory and related projects (12,710m²) and a central new building (73,300m²).
VK completely redesigns the existing 42 ha campus, currently with some 40 buildings, into a compact, intelligent health campus with a central and connecting hospital building. The result will be an innovative, CO2-neutral campus ready for the future.
Energy studies
An energy master plan was drawn up for the entire site, based on a technical-economic feasibility study of energy techniques. This included dynamic simulations for comfort and energy consumption and a parametric study of the façade for daylight, overheating, etc. The project follows the GRO sustainability meter.
