Material Flows

Construction materials recycling and logistics hub

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    Project entry 2014 Europe – Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics hub, Brussels, Belgium

    Plentiful rainwater will be used by two concrete plants at the site which consume hundreds of thousands of liters of water annually for the production of concrete and rinsing their installations. Production of electricity with solar panels is utilized on-site through lighting, machinery, charging electric forklifts, etc, and since surplus electricity has to be paid to the net administrator, it is economically more self-sustaining to share the energy with the neighborhood.

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    Project update June 2018 – Material Flows in Belgium

    To further improve the connection between the port and the city, large areas of the building are open to the canal, thus ensuring that the building creates a spatial connection of the two areas.

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    Project entry 2014 Europe – Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics hub, Brussels, Belgium

    The construction materials village is a powerful statement of sustainable urban logistics and distribution. By distributing construction materials to the city and collecting construction waste from the city, the village functions as a logistics hub between port and city. The village will become an important link in the product life-cycle management of materials.

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    Project entry 2014 Europe – Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics hub, Brussels, Belgium

    Located in the city center, the industrial activity operates as an integrated zone in an urban area.

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    Project entry 2014 Europe – Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics hub, Brussels, Belgium

    The Vergotedok in the Port of Brussels, Belgium.

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    Project entry 2014 Europe – Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics hub, Brussels, Belgium

    Open spaces create spatial connections between the urban tissue and the port.

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    Project update June 2018 – Material Flows in Belgium

    The large canopy roof is fitted with solar panels and a rainwater collection system.

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    Project entry 2014 Europe – Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics hub, Brussels, Belgium

    Modular site layout: based on the 20m distance between bollards of the quay.

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    Project entry 2014 Europe – Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics hub, Brussels, Belgium

    The showrooms of the concession holders are situated at the end of the volumes.

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    Project entry 2014 Europe – Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics hub, Brussels, Belgium

    Construction kits are created to enhance the functional flexibility of the village.

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    Project entry 2014 Europe – Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics hub, Brussels, Belgium

    The folded shape of the roof acts as a reverse spatial carpet on the 500m-long axis.

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    Project entry 2014 Europe – Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics …

    Project entry 2014 Europe – Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics hub, Brussels, Belgium

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    Holcim Awards 2014 Europe ceremony, Moscow, Russia

    Presentation of the Holcim Awards Acknowledgement prize 2014 Europe for “Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics hub, Brussels, Belgium” (l-r): Harry Gugger, Professor for Architectural & Urban Design, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), and Member of the Board of the Holcim Foundation, Switzerland; Lieven De Groote, Ana Castillo, Annekatrien Verdickt and Jan Terwecoren, TETRA architecten, Brussels, Belgium; and Louis Beauchemin, CEO Holcim Belgium and Netherlands.

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    Project entry 2014 Europe – Material Flows: Construction materials recycling and logistics hub, Brussels, Belgium

    Jan Terwecoren, Annekatrien Verdickt, Ana Castillo and Lieven De Groote

  • Awards Acknowledgement prize 2014–2015 Europe

This construction materials village is an illustration of sustainable urban logistics as part of a larger ecosystem. By distributing construction materials to Brussels and collecting construction waste from it, the village functions as an important logistics and distribution hub between port and city. The modular and hierarchical structure of the warehouses makes the architecture receptive to different programmatic demands of various site users.

By Lieven De Groote, Ana Castillo, Annekatrien Verdickt, Jan Terwecoren - TETRA architecten, Brussels, Belgium and

Ideas: Circular Materials & Building Components

This construction materials village is an illustration of sustainable urban logistics as part of a larger ecosystem. By distributing construction materials to Brussels and collecting construction waste from it, the village functions as an important logistics and distribution hub between port and city.

The modular and hierarchical structure of the warehouses makes the architecture receptive to different programmatic demands of various site users.

Material Flows

Project authors

  • LafargeHolcim Awards 2017 for Europe prize handover ceremony, Marseille
    Lieven De Groote

    TETRA architecten

    Belgium

  • LafargeHolcim Awards 2017 for Europe prize handover ceremony, Marseille
    Ana Castillo

    TETRA architecten

    Belgium

  • LafargeHolcim Awards 2017 for Europe prize handover ceremony, Marseille
    Annekatrien Verdickt

    TETRA architecten

    Belgium

  • LafargeHolcim Awards 2017 for Europe prize handover ceremony, Marseille
    Jan Terwecoren

    TETRA architecten

    Belgium

  • Henk Pijpaert

    Henk Pijpaert Engineering

    Belgium

  • Bjorn Gielen

    Landinzicht

    Belgium

Project updates