A forward-looking vision for healthcare
RZ Heilig Hart Tienen
The renewed RZ Heilig Hart in Tienen will become a model for the hospital of the future, built on five pillars: experience, flexibility, efficiency, innovation, and sustainability. Thanks to its compact and adaptable design, the building can evolve in line with future healthcare needs without compromising other functions.
Facts about the project
- RZ Heilig Hart
- Client
- Tienen, België
- Location
One modern campus for better care
Within five years, all current healthcare facilities will be completely renewed. The hospital, with around 340 beds, will merge two existing campuses into one central location. This integration will streamline care processes, enhance patient experience, and place a strong focus on well-being, ecology, and community engagement.
Sustainable and efficient design
The façade will have a circular and high-quality character, using prefabricated aluminium and terracotta panels. The design is compact, cost-efficient, and flexible, featuring various structural grids that support strategically grouped functions. This allows the building to easily adapt to future care models while minimising space use and creating more room for greenery.
Healthcare and nature in harmony
The freestanding building offers surrounding views and places inpatient wards and day care above ground level. Around one-third of the site will be used for small-scale agriculture, producing vegetables, fruit, and herbs. Patients and local residents can participate in or enjoy these activities. The harvest will be used in the hospital restaurant and sold at a local campus market, raising awareness around healthy eating and sustainability.
Flexibility through adaptive design
The building is developed according to the ‘shell’ method, optimising walking distances while keeping patient, visitor, staff, and logistics flows strictly separated. Standardisation of spaces reduces costs and maximises flexibility for future reconfigurations. Digitalisation of work processes will support new ways of working and enhance collaboration between departments.
Sustainable mobility and water management
The redesigned entrance area prioritises pedestrians and cyclists. Car use is actively discouraged through a mobility plan aiming to reduce car dependency by 29%. A compact parking facility replaces large car parks, while over two-thirds of the site will be landscaped as green space with walking and cycling paths. Rainwater from roofs and roads will be collected, buffered, and reused – with a capacity equivalent to three Olympic swimming pools.
Smart technology for better care
The hospital will be a ‘smart hospital’ where building and medical technology work seamlessly together. Data will be shared to improve diagnostics, strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration, and automate logistics processes, enabling healthcare staff to devote more time to patients.
A health centre for the community
RZ Heilig Hart will be more than a hospital – it will be a lively meeting place where healthcare, sustainability, and community spirit come together. The project demonstrates that healthcare institutions can also act as drivers for a healthier, more sustainable, and better-connected society.