Belgium Real Estate Showcase 2012

Business Interactive Media sprl - Belgium Real Estate Showcase 2012, a special issue of Profacility Magazine N°33 - Mars 2012 - 25 Eur - Afgiftekantoor Leuven Mail - P304098

Showcase 2012 / BELGIUM REAL ESTATE

Connect to pro-realestate.be for news, trends, network and real estate management best practices

MARKET TRENDS

vacancy, take-up, sales & letting trends

PROJECTS

© Studio Milo/ Marc Detiffe

offices & retail

KEY PLAYERS

developers, local authorities architects, advisers

© Studio Milo for AG Real Estate

TOWN PLANNING

forthcoming development projects, urban regeneration, sustainable cities

BEST STRATEGIES

investment, property & buildings management

Within the rehabilitation projects of the area around the Boulevard Saint Lazare, this is a possible vision of the reshaped Place Saint Lazare at the foot of the future Silver Tower in the North District of Brussels.

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EDITORIAL Belgian real estate market : the new reality

I

n considering the recent evolution of the real estate landscape in Belgium, and in Brussels in particular, it is quite clear that we have reached a new beginning. There is a marked and growing move by investors and developers away from offices and into other segments such as the retail and logistics markets which performed very well in 2011. The new real estate market place is no longer ‘offices and a few minor auxiliary domains’.

This is for a number of reasons. Firstly, office vacancy remains stubbornly high overall – around 11% for the Antwerp market and the whole of the Brussels market, even if it is nearer to 5 % in the Brussels Centre and lower in some sub-districts. In these circumstances, speculative office development is still very much on hold; 2011 saw just 110,000 m² or so put on the market, well under half of the 2010 level. Secondly, the stated philosophy of the Brussels authorities is to create mixed-use districts, a philosophy which even extends to that most ‘concrete office jungle’ of zones – the European District, via an overall re-conversion plan. The orientation towards mixed use in Brussels is given a strong push by the expected explosion in the population of the capital, forecast to rise by around 160,000 over the coming years, which requires far more residential accommodation to be built.

Add to all this the fact that a substantial proportion of office vacancy is in older buildings, a genuine ‘second division’ market in these days of environmental certification, low energy use… and the recipe seems clear. Too many offices, many of them obsolete, not enough residential accommodation, and investors/developers looking for ‘non-office’ outlets for their talents. The resulting solution of converting obsolete offices into housing is not just a good idea, it is a substantial reality on the Brussels market. The Livingstone building in the European district is the most famous example because of its size (30,000 m² of which more than half is being converted to residential use), but also because it responds to another dynamic affecting this trend: the ‘New World of Work’. Previous occupants Dexia Bank have adopted this concept and the 30,000 m2 of the Livingstone building became surplus to their space requirements. Current figures show that some 250,000 m² of other office space is set to be converted in the near future into residential accommodation, mostly apartments, but also homes for the elderly, schools, or hotels. The new reality is up and running!

© Archi2000 for Cofinimmo

Tim HARRUP Final editor Pro-Realestate Media

The Livingstone building in the European district has been completely redesigned and more than half of the total surface area of 30.000m2 is being converted to more than 120 apartments BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012 3

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Belgium Real Estate Showcase I 2012 A special issue of Profacility quarterly magazine published by

s

Business Interactive Media sprl Avenue Louise, 475 - 1050 Brussels Phone: +32 (0)2 669 77 65 Fax: + 32 (0)2 626 37 17 info@bimedia.be - www.bimedia.be

SHOWCASE

Publication Director Didier VAN DEN EYNDE - dvandeneynde@bimedia.be

© Jaspers- Eyers & Architects

EDITORIAL Final Editors: Tim HARRUP - tharrup@pro-realestate.be Patrick BARTHOLOMÉ - redaction@profacility.be Eduard CODDÉ - redactie@profacility.be Our grateful thanks to mister Guibert de Crombrugghe, mrs Patrizia Tortolani and mister Pascal Vanhumbeeck from de Crombrugghe & Partners; and mister Georges Binder from Buildings & Data for their editorial contribution.

ADVERTISING & MARKETING Key Account Manager Sigrid NAUWELAERTS - snauwelaerts@pro-realestate.be Marketing Didier VAN DEN EYNDE - dvandeneynde@bimedia.be Advertising rates available on www.pro-realestate.be/advertising

PRODUCTION Lay-out Kurt THYS - Str8 Communication Company - www.str8.be

6 > 25

TOWN PLANNING

Projet Urbain Loi on the move … and Delta on the starting blocks I Creating space for SME’s I Developing ‘industrial eco-systems’ I Atenor’s vision for major urban projects I Impact of the energy crisis on the land development I Cadixwijk continues Eilandje revival I Neo, strategic hub for Brussels I Seraing to give itself a city centre I Town planning projects

Production coördination Isabel GRILLET - igrillet@bimedia.be Printing Van der Poorten SA - www.vanderpoorten.be

REAL ESTATE PROjECTS INDEX also on www.pro-realestate.be/projects

PARTNERSHIPS Profacility is Media Partner of

Connect with www.pro-realestate.be for key information to optimize your real estate management: investment strategy (purchase, lease or rent), choice of the perfect location according to the company’s activities, selection of the most suitable building, financing and taxation, building fit out, move, building facilities operations. © All texts are protected by copyright. All advertisings including the ‘Company Profiles’ fall under the sole responsibility of their authors. © No part of this publication may be reproduced and/or published in any form or by means of printing or photocopying, microfilm, magnetic carriers, without the prior permission of the publisher.

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S MARKET TREND sales & letting trends vacancy, take-up,

issue of Profacility Magazine

NORTH DISTRICT • Brussels Tower • Silver Tower • Tour & Taxis • Up-site

25 / 31 28 40 53 14 / 36

41 1/39 24 14 / 31

LEOPOLD/ EUROPEAN DISTRICT • Arts Lux 40 • Belview 41 • Brussels Europa 8 • Black Pearl 37 • Livingstone 3 • Projet Urbain Loi 8-10 / 15

Showcase 2012 / BELGIUM REAL

BRUSSELS CENTRE (Pentagon) • Belair • de Ligne • Regent IV • Le Toison d’or • Victor

PROJECTS

40 10

LOUISE DISTRICT • E Lite

38

DECENTRALISED (in Brussels Capital Region) • City Docks • Delta • just Under the Sky • NATO • Paepsem SME’sPark • Neo • Tweebeek SME’s Park

25 9 55 33 11 20-21 11

RING AND PERIPHERY (outside Brussels Capital Region) • Focus Park 38 • Uplace 54-55 • Watson & Crick Hill II 39 • West End II 41

© Studio Milo/ Marc Detiffe

Business Interactive Media

sprl - Belgium Real Estate

Showcase 2012, a special

offices & retail

• Science 15-17 • Trebel

KEY PLAYERS

architects, developers, local authorities

advisers

© Studio Milo for AG Real

Estate

TOWN PLANNING nt projects,

forthcoming developme cities urban regeneration, sustainable

BEST STRATEGIES nt & property manageme investment, building

the Boulevard Saint Lazare, projects of the area around of the Within the rehabilitation Saint Lazare at the foot of the reshaped Place this is a possible vision North District of Brussels. future Silver Tower in the

4 BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012

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This guide gives real estate professionals a global view and analysis of the Belgian real estate market. It provides corporate end-users with key information and helps them to find the right partners and advisers to assist them in carrying out their real estate management: investment strategy (purchase, lease or rent), choice of the perfect location according to the company’s activities, selection of the most suitable and sustainable building, financing and taxation, building fit out, building facilities operations. The guide describes major town planning projects. It sets out market trends in terms of letting and sale for offices, retail and logistics estates. It presents the main projects and players for office buildings and shopping centers and highlights the best practices in property and buildings

REAL ESTATE MARKETS & PROJECTS

26 > 59

Brussels office market, properties to let/ for sale, office buildings projects I Antwerp, Mechelen, Ghent and Liège office markets I 2011 Retail market trends I Green light for Uplace I Shopping centres’ projects I 2011 logistics market trends

O.L.Vrouwziekenhuis Aalst – doc VK

© Jaspers- Eyers & Architects

management.

60 > 73

INVESTMENT, PROPERTY & BUILDINGS MANAGEMENT

Relocation : stay or move – a key decision I Renewable energy : Wind turbines in Brussels ? I Green certification for buildings – cities taking the lead I New World of Work : a saving of 50,000 m² from a major workspace reorganisation

Identify the partners and suppliers who meet your needs through consulting their company profiles

ANTWERP • Antwerp Headquarters • Artesis Hogeschool • Eilandje – Cadixwijk • European Market City • Havenhuis • IPZ • Onyx LIEGE • Cristal Park • Espace Horizon • Oh | Offices house • Rue du plan incline • Seraing City Center • Tour des Finances • Val Benoît MECHELEN • Station district • Zuidpoort • York Tower

25 / 44 45 18-19 55 19 25 / 44 26 / 42

51 51 51 50 22-23 6/51 51

GHENT • Aartevelde Stadium 49 • Ghent Sint Peter’s railway station 49 • MG Tower 48 • Oude Dokken 49 • The Loop 48 CHARLEROI - LA LOUVIÈRE • Hôtel de Police & Charleroi Danses Performing Arts Center • Rive Gauche • Site Bosch NAMUR • Ecolys

47 46 46

74 > 96 REAL ESTATE NETWORK 25 57 57

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Identify the partners and suppliers who meet your needs through consulting their company profile ANIXTON

76

KPMG

77

AREMIS

79

ATENOR

81

BELGIAN BUILDINGS AGENCY

83

LOGISTIC ORGANISATION GROUP (L.O.G.)

84

BEDDELEEM

85

GLOBAL

87

IFMA

89

POLO ARCHITECTS

90

PYLOS

91

SDRB - GOMB – BRDA

93

SERVICE A

94

VK ENGINEERING

95

ZUMTOBEL

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Meer informatie op www.profacility.be/agenda

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© rendering KCAP © Jaspers-Eyers Architects

With the mixed-use NEO urban plan, the city of Brussels wishes to establish the future International Congress Centre on the Heyzel plateau. On an estimated surface of 18 hectares out of the 68 hectares making up the Heysel Plateau, the development plan includes the building of an international-scale congress centre of 3,500 seats, a shopping mall, hotels, leisure facilities including a concert hall with a capacity of 15,000 seats and sport grounds, along with new green areas and 750 homes.

The rehabilitation of the area around Guillemins station is continuing, with the granting by Walloon Planning Minister Philippe Henry at the beginning of February 2012, of the planning permit for the future Finance Tower on the Rue du Paradis.

Following the station designed by Calatrava, and Médiacité, this 26-floor tower will be a new symbol –albeit controversial – of the urban revitalisation of the Liège city center.

The master plan for the Eilandje (‘Little’ Island) involves an area of some 172 hectares and is being implemented from south (city centre) to north (harbour and sea). In the southern area, private investments are primarily involved and the conversion to an urban area is largely complete.

6 BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2011

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TOWN PLANNING

F

ollowing the perceived random nature of some town planning over past decades, many forward-looking cities across Europe are now striving for a coherent method of providing for future needs. In this section, we have selected those projects in Belgium which can be considered to meet the fundamental criteria for being included in this category: projects of a ‘district-wide’ size, involving a high degree of mixed use, integrating mobility, and providing a real benefit to city-dwellers and commuting workers alike. One of the buzz phrases of the moment is ‘returning the city to its inhabitants’, and this clearly implies not just constructing vast office-only areas as has been done in the past – sometimes for the best of reasons – but which now seems to be a concept which has had its time. This is not to denigrate the many excellent and much-needed office developments still being undertaken and planned, but merely to highlight those projects which look to a wider scale and try, is it too much to say, to replicate the atmosphere of the cities of the past.

SUMMARY 08 11 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Projet Urbain Loi on the move … and Delta on the starting blocks Creating space for SME’s Developing ‘industrial eco-systems’ Atenor, a vision and a philosophy for major urban projects Impact of the energy crisis on the land development Cadixwijk continues Eilandje revival Neo, strategic hub for Brussels further international development Seraing to give itself a city centre revitalising a former industrial complex Town planning projects

On www.pro-realestate.be/projects, you will find updated information on the town planning projects presented in this edition of the ‘Belgium Real Estate Showcase’ together with many others town planning project descriptions.

Antwerp Headquarters I Artevelde stadium (Ghent) I Belair (Brussels) I City Docks (Brussels) Hôtel de Police & Charleroi Danses Performing Arts Center’ (Charleroi) I IPZ (Antwerp) Oude Dokken (Ghent) I Paepsem SME’s Park (Brussels) I Port du Bon Dieu (Namur) Port Sud (Brussels) I Artesis Hogeschool (Antwerp) I The Loop (Ghent) I Tivoli (Brussels) I Tweebeek SME’s Park (Brussels) I Tours & Taxis (Brussels) I UP-site (Brussels) I Val Benoît (Liège)

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TOWN PLANNING I BRUSSELS I EUROPEAN DISTRICTS I

Projet Urbain Loi on the move …

To provide an update on the Projet Urbain Loi, which forms a central part of the Brussels Region’s policy of redeveloping the whole of the Leopold (European) district, and of the European Commission’s desire to rationalise its real estate occupation, we turned to someone who knows this district better than almost anyone else - Marie-Laure Roggemans.

M

arie-Laure Roggemans has been designated by the Brussels region to take charge of the redevelopment programme for the European district of Brussels, and as such is referred to by the Region’s Minister-President Charles Picqué as ‘Madame Europe’. In her role, she acts as a pivot between the European Commission, the various current property owners, the developers and the politicians. So going beyond the mere figures, she explained us how the project is progressing, both in terms of its progress through the various administrative formalities, and where the overall policy is concerned.

Regional Zoned Planning Regulation The district is covered by a regulation called RRUZ (‘regional zoned planning regulation’). Real estate operations are normally covered by a PPAS, but those operations which are already being negotiated need a shorter term solution. The developers of two zones in particular Europa Capital and Atenor – wish to lodge a planning request in the short term and so it was not possible to wait for a PPAS to be drawn

The PUL includes certain buildings which are the property of different owners, and others which are ‘heritage listed’ and which therefore have to be maintained. The first perimeter of buildings which are closest to the Rue de la Loi (although set back by 15 metres) may be of low and medium height – up to 55 metres – and the second perimeter, set

© image ATENOR – Architects BURO II & ARCHI +I

Marie-Laure Roggemans, Project Head for the Brussels Territorial Development Agency, and delegated to the European project.

up, as this would take too long. The government has thus turned to a RRUZ, which differs from a PPAS because it indicates how high the buildings can be, what volume, how far they can be set back, what impact they have on public areas. “This is the first time we are adopting this type of approach”, MarieLaure Roggemans pointed out. “Another major difference where a RRUZ is concerned is that it does not allow us to impose a particular usage, such as residential. We can negotiate politically, which we are currently doing, but we do not have the regulatory force of a PPAS. And a RRUZ does not require an impact study – a PPAS plus an impact study would take at least two years, whereas here we are talking of a little less than a year”.

The demolition of the Crowne Plaza hotel located at the top of the Rue de la Loi, along with the project to construct a new office building in this location by developer Atenor, are directly concerned by the new regulations imposed by the Projet Urbain Loi. Although the hotel closed in December 2011, the adoption of the ‘RRUZ’ is awaited with impatience in order to finalise the Europa project, set to offer 37,000 m2 of extra office space in the heart of the European district.

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further back can be as high as 114 metres, and the towers themselves can only be located on the Rue de la Loi and only on lots of over 2,000 m².

There is one exception, on one single lot and for the European Commission’s use, which can rise to 165 metres. The towers cannot be more than 40 metres wide, and maximum floor size is 1,500 m². In reality, in the first sketches of architect De Portzamparc, floor sizes are of the order of 900 m².

All of this has been updated now, along with the situation on the Rue Joseph II and Rue Joseph de Lalaing. The same sort of regulation exists for the surrounding streets too. The internal team of the Brussels Region has drawn up the latest plans, but

everything is communicated to the architectural bureau of De Portzamparc for agreement. There is also a high proportion of green space in the zone covered by the PUL, something of the order of 1520% of the ground area. The ratio of floorspace to ground area has been able to be increased from 5.5 to 8.

The European Commission currently has 98,000 m² in this zone, and will eventually have 190,000 m².

The developers currently involved can be granted certain advantages for providing a certain amount of public space and other facilities within the framework of the buildings they are planning.

… and Delta on the starting blocks

T

here has been much talk of the European institutions requiring more space than can be found for them within the traditional ‘European district’. The zone which has been earmarked for such an expansion is Delta, which won out over the only other candidate (Schaerbeek formation) able to offer the ground area required (Delta extends to 30 hectares, and the built area for the EU, set to be 200.000 m², would cover 5 of these, plus thoroughfares and surrounds). The selection of Delta is not to all tastes, however, and it may yet be a long time before anything is actually signed. The project is currently being considered in more depth by the European Commission, but the amount of time it took to get the European Commission to commit to a 50,000 m² building right in the heart of their current district – The Capital – bears witness to a slow decision-making process which is not the sole prerogative of Belgian public authorities.

When asked about the possible development of another European District for the European Institutions on the Delta site, Marie Laure Roggemans explained: “I am part of the team which is negotiating this, and we meet regularly with the teams from the European institutions to see how they are thinking in terms of real estate needs, and with the federal government. We are continuing to talk with the EU about their setting up at Delta.

We are looking at all aspects of this, including mobility, and we have also now launched a call for tenders for this project. And as there will be a large

hospital close by, we are looking with the medical authorities at how the two usage types can live together. The opinion of the local commune also has to be taken into account, of course.

But I would say that a second district – Delta – is indispensable for the European institutions. They will have to undertake what we call a ‘drawer’ operation – which means emptying buildings one at a time and replacing them elsewhere, so that the obsolete buildings can be demolished and replaced by new ones. They are also arriving at lease ends with certain buildings, so they need a further zone. It is their intention to turn to Delta” Delta has the advantage of being located at one of the entrance points of Brussels (E411 Namur – Luxembourg motorway and Brussels Ring), of being easily and quickly accessible from the current European district (5 metro stops from Schuman, 10 minutes by car), and of already housing some European bodies in Beaulieu, two hundred metres down the road. On the Delta site, of the 9.8 hectares of buildable land, 5 hectares are scheduled to accommodate the Chirec hospital complex and its associated services (shops, hotels, seminar facilities, laboratories). These buildings will extend to some 125,000 m² and are scheduled for construction between 2013 and 2017. On the Delta site, just , 20,000 m2 is currently believed to be scheduled for housing.

Tim HARRUP n BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012 9

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TOWN PLANNING I BRUSSELS I EUROPEAN DISTRICTS I

The Projet Urbain Loi in figures Type of use

Current m² Extra m²

Total future m²

Total ground area

490,000 390,000

880,000

Office floor area

470,000 240,000

710,000

Of which EU Commission

170,000 230,000*

400,000

Of which other offices

300,000 10,000

310,000

Residential ground area Retail and services floor area

0

110,000

20,000 40,000

110,000 60,000

* 230,000 m² vacated by EU Commission elsewhere in the European district

Projet Urbain Loi: Transform this concrete office jungle into a more liveable and human area Marie-Laure Roggemans’ opinion.

Can the Leopold district – European district – really play a role in the provision of new housing which Brussels needs? ‘ Yes most certainly – there is already a high degree of mixed use scheduled. There is a procedure for allocating usage types, and for everything in this area which happens to fall outside of the strict limits of the PUL, the Region is preparing a PPAS (specific ground use plan) for the very reason of introducing residential accommodation. Some 95,000 m² of residential accommodation has been provided as ‘compensation’ for the office constructions, and 55,000 m² more under the initiative of private development.’

What about the mobility aspect ? Is reducing the number of lanes on the two principal thoroughfares, Rue Belliard and Rue de la Loi really feasible?

‘This will see Rue de la Loi reduced from four to three lanes and Rue Belliard from five to four. This will certainly happen and is expected to be finished by 2018. We have modelled all of the traffic situation within the zone, and the modifications will be made in phases. The first phase is to build a tunnel under the whole of the Rue Cortenbergh, so that the existing tunnel from the E40 emerges at the top of the Rue de la Loi. This will be part of the way in which we remove traffic as much as possible from the Schuman roundabout. We have to turn off the ‘taps’ which feed it. It will be these elements which make it possible to reduce the width of the two roads. On top of this, the RER (Regional Electric Rail) is now scheduled to come into full operation in 2019, as certain planning permit situations have caused a delay from the original schedule of 2018’

European Parliament call for acquisition in the Leopold District © Rendering Jaspers-Eyers & Architects for ATENOR

The building located on the corner of the Rue de Trèves and Rue Belliard and thus named ‘Trebel’, has been selected by the European Parliament within stage one of a call for tenders. The building is owned by Atenor, which has lodged a planning permit request with the authorities in October 2011 for the demolitionreconstruction of this building to offer 32,300 m2 of office spaces.

Construction works should start mid 2013 to end in 2016.

Formerly the headquarters of Bacob Bank, the building benefits from being on the same street as the European Parliament itself, barely five minutes walk along the Rue de Trèves to the Place du Luxembourg. Trebel is also one of the closest buildings on the Rue Belliard to the European Commission buildings around Schuman.

It has the advantage of Luxembourg railway station nearby (just in front of the European Parliament), and Trône and Maelbeek metro stations within a short walk.

The announcement by the European Parliament follows a call for the acquisition of buildings launched at the end of 2010, such buildings having to meet a number of criteria. The European institutions are undertaking a deep-rooted review of their property holdings and occupancy in Brussels, and although Trebel falls outside of the strict limits of the Projet Urbain Loi (PUL), it forms a part of the overall scheme focused around the PUL and the entire European district.

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TOWN PLANNING I BRUSSELS REGION I

Creating space for SME’s One of the major players in the semi-industrial segment in Brussels is the Brussels Regional Development Agency, SDRB. This public sector body fills a niche and works either independently or in collaboration with the private sector.

T

he SDRB has been in existence since 1974 and its basic mission has always been to create infrastructures for enabling companies to set up in the Brussels Region. Originally, one of the aims was to maintain industrial activity and therefore employment. The enormous evolution within Brussels, and the fact that it is geographically limited to 162 square kilometres, mean that industrial parks have tended to mutate into business parks and this also involves some office space.

The SDRB now manages around 45 such sites, totalling 200 hectares and with some 300 companies.

These include some large concerns, with one occupant employing 850 persons. Alongside these established companies are start-ups and spinoffs which are supported by the universities. The SDRB is also very visible for its residential sites, with often hundreds of new apartments being constructed in order to plan ahead for the forecast explosion in the population of the capital over coming years. This particular activity is also allied to a desire for urban regeneration, investing in abandoned sites which may be in ‘difficult’ districts sometimes shunned by the private sector.

30 or so projects are on the files and set to come into being over the near future.

The SDRB sees itself as complementary to the private sector in developing this type of park, explains Economic Expansion Director General Philippe Antoine, satisfying a niche market which is of less interest to the private sector. This fits in very well with the mandate of the agency, which is to introduce more economic activity into Brussels.

The SDRB is able to offer sometimes very interesting prices, however, and mention should be made of Lavoisier, just inside the Ring at the eastern side.

This is a former cigarette factory now transformed into a building to accommodate SME’s and at prices starting from € 60/m²/year, substantially below prices found anywhere else. To illustrate the fact that these operations do not constitute competition with the private sector, the SDRB has established a database under the name of Inventimmo (www. inventimmo.be) and which is available for all real estate professionals to consult free of charge, representing a market barometer and price guide.

The private sector also provides the information for this database.

Tim HARRUP n

Philippe Antoine, Director General Economic Expansion Brussels Regional Agency

Located near to the Brussels Ring at the northern end and close to the canal, Tweebeek will extend to 5,000 m2 of economic activity in modules of 500 m² and larger, and is part of an overall renovation project which will see more than 9,000 m² of new constructions within this part of the site. © image DDS & Partners Architects

Location preference Where economic activity is concerned, a location close to the Brussels Ring is considered to be important when possible. One of the current projects, Paepsem, enjoys exactly this location, just a few hundred metres inside the Ring at the southwest entrance to the city. Some 12 to 24 workshops of 250 to 500 square metres will accommodate SME’s, which will be responsible for their own fit-out. As with the majority of SDRB projects, ecological measures such as low energy use and the recuperation of rainwater, are included in the programming. Another project ‘Tweebeek’ is also close to the Ring, this time at the northern end, and also close to the canal which is the location for many of the agency’s residential projects. Tweebeek will extend to 5,000 m² of economic activity in modules of 500 m² and larger, and is part of an overall renovation project which will see more than 9,000 m² of new constructions within this part of the site. A further BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012 11

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LAND DEVELOPMENT I SUSTAINABILITY I

Developing ‘industrial eco-systems’ ‘Eco-parks’ are developing all over Europe. The principle behind them is the creation of an ‘industrial eco-system’ within the context of sustainable development, setting up industrial areas and bringing together industrial processes with a reduced impact on the environment.

T

Ecolys, in Namur, is a park destined for companies attentive to sustainable development within the eco-construction sector, and to traditional companies which adopt a management system with concern for the environment.

on flow management (resources and energy) in order to avoid wasting resources • technology capable of creating a reliable system.

This approach is also based on cooperation and exchange of information, services, infrastructures, materials, water and energy between economic entities of various natures.

doc. BEP – Namur

he concept of ‘industrial ecology’ is attributed to Robert Frosch and Nicholas Gallopoulos, senior researchers with GM at the end of the 80’s. This concept is based on: • an integrated vision of all the component parts of an industrial system and of their relationship with the natural environment (local and regional) • a concrete approach to the economy focusing

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Birth of new industrial parks This concept is behind the appearance of economic activity parks of a new type, integrating the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. The first of these are currently coming into being in Wallonia: in January 2010 the Walloon Economy Minister Jean-Claude Marcourt launched a call for ecoparks within the framework of the ‘Marshall Plan 2 Green’. Thirteen projects were lodged by eight inter-communal development associations in conjunction with numerous companies.

The regional government decided to set in motion five subsidised pilot trials at a total cost of € 1,293,000: they will be developed at Tertre (Saint-Ghislain), Chimay Baileux, Liège Science Park, Écopôle (Farciennes-Aiseau-Presles) and Hermalle sous Huy/Engis. Around thirty companies are involved.

Second chance In light of the success of the call for projects and the quality of the proposals, those projects not selected were invited to submit amended dossiers

by October 14th 2011. On top of this, the Minister committed to ‘organise assistance and a deeper awareness for the subsidised and non-subsidised projects, of industrial ecology and of the principles of the call for eco-park projects’.

The projects re-submitted after amendment were evaluated by the jury during the course of

December 2011. The Walloon government has scheduled a decision on them for the beginning of 2012.

New call for projects The overall budget set aside for this measure within the Marshall Plan 2 Green is € 2,500,000.

There will therefore still be some unused budget following the second phase of the first call for projects, which will enable a second such call to be made. This can be followed on http://ecozoning. wallonie.be.

‘Eco-park’ label project ?

The question of a possible eco-park labelling system has been raised. An idea which is not currently on the agenda according to JeanClaude Marcourt: “The objective of the pilot trials being undertaken by the winning projects is to understand the concept and make it workable. It is also to define the key factors for success and the main obstacles. It is probable that the concept of industrial ecology and the high ambitions that the Walloon Government set in its call for ecopark zones, will not be applicable to all economic activity parks in existence in our territory. It therefore follows that it is too soon to make any decision on the pertinence of setting up an ecopark labelling system”.

Patrick BARTHOLOME n

Further reading ‘Notes de Recherche : Le concept d’éco-zoning en Région wallonne’

by A. Bory, F. Brévers, C. Dopagne, E. Droeven, C. Van der Kaa, under the leadership of E. Sérusiaux.

Conférence Permanente du Développement Territorial (CPDT), n° 17 – April 2011.

Available in French on www.profacility.be/references

Jean-Claude Marcourt explains this strategy “Subsidies granted within the framework of the call for eco-park projects are designed to finance feasibility studies relative to industrial synergies, and to sharing services or purchases between the companies receiving them. The partners in these projects have begun to set in motion the management of their projects. The most frequent approach is to subdivide the overall project into themed work groups according to the defined action points. The teams are currently beginning to establish specifications for the various subsidised studies. Some, at a more advanced stage, have already proceeded on to attributing public contracts and are starting the studies. These have to be completed within 24 months from the decision of the Government. This means that it is still a bit too early to know the first results. The primary objective of these pilot trials is to understand the concept and make it workable.”

Jean-Claude Marcourt , Minister for the Economy, SME’s, External Trade, New Technolgies and Higher Education.

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TOWN PLANNING I REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT I

A vision and a philosophy f One of the most iconic developments along the banks of the canal in Brussels is UP-site, developed by Atenor. This mixed use development contains within it an iconic building, for the 140 metre high tower is residential in nature, and thus becomes the highest residential tower in Belgium. Along with the 48,000 m² of residential accommodation, there are some 30,000 m² of office space. Atenor CEO Stéphan Sonneville explains his company’s philosophy where UP-site and the other major Atenor developments – Europa and the PUL – are concerned.

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his part of the canal, just to the north west of the city centre, has attracted a great deal of developer attention over the past few of decades. The capital’s North District has grown up here (around North Station, Belgium’s largest transport interchange) during this period, and after years of false starts, the historic Tour & Taxis site finally began its long road to reconversion into a new city district. Between the two, UP-site is now emerging from the ground, another major piece of the jigsaw which will eventually see ‘waterside living’ once more become a reality in the capital of Europe.

Stéphan Sonneville CEO Atenor

What is the Atenor philosophy in general, and in particular where UP-site is concerned ?

Stéphan Sonneville: Atenor is specialised and clearly positioned as a developer of large mixed use projects.

This means that we are interested in surface areas which are often over one hectare, and which will enable projects which are major for the district.

Mixed means that within a single project we bring together housing and offices. Our philosophy also involves the fact that we believe that large office projects should be located near to railway stations, and in answer to the oftenrepeated statement that there are too many offices in the city, I would respond that there are too many poorly located offices. Those which will remain in the future will be those which have impeccable environmental and architectural qualities, and which are located close to communications hubs. This would resolve many mobility problems and enable Brussels to retain its attractiveness and retain companies within its centre. Where residential property is concerned, we believe that there was one district which seemed to have been forgotten, which is along the whole of the canal. Most cities have made more of their water – rivers or canals – but this has not happened to the same degree in Brussels since the industrial history of the canal. So now

industry is making way for residential use, and we have developed our UP-site project. This was a fairly abandoned district, the industrial and logistics activities had gone, but nothing had come to replace them yet. We have brought in an architectural renaissance, with an iconic tower.

Are towers the answer to planners’ problems?

Stéphan Sonneville: I would like to make this comment about towers – I believe that they represent an urban planning tool available to the political authorities, to be used discerningly, and which are certainly justified in particular situations.

Our tower at UP-site will be residential in use. And in the particular case of our tower, it is located just across the canal from Tour & Taxis, which has its own values, and in this case they are horizontal.

We believed it was appropriate to therefore create a vertical statement, and establish a happy transition from Tour & Taxis on one side, to the North District on the other.

Do you see North-UP-site-Tour & Taxis as a sort of mega-district?

Stéphan Sonneville: Yes, of course! I think this district will also eventually take in the Place Emile Bockstael – a little further out from Tour & Taxis – which is also an old district of Brussels. This new axis runs perpendicular to the other main axis which is of course the canal itself, which is now, happily, seeing so much redevelopment along much of its length. And there is even a sort of ‘canal spirit’. So I think that with UP-site we really are at the junction of a rehabilitation of the city which moves in two directions, and which should help to breathe new life into the whole of the city.

Tell us about Victor This is an important and even an imposing district, because this will have an even higher tower – 150 metres – this time for office use. The whole project extends to 110,000 m², so it is a mega-project. People may ask whether it is reasonable to launch such a large

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y for major urban projects office project in current economic circumstances. Yes, I would answer, and a thousand times yes! Because there is, as I said before, a real need to develop offices near stations. The train is undeniably the mode of transport of the future, you can even see today how trains are overcrowded at peak times. And to my mind, a train service which functions well means a society that functions well, helping with mobility of course, and also with conviviality. So Victor is very necessary for reasons of mobility amongst others.

And it shouldn’t be forgotten that it is located next to South Station, one of the most important in Belgium, with both its national and its international services. It is therefore a major junction at a European level, but when you step outside and look around, the district still needs a lot of quality redevelopment. Victor will contribute to and enable the redevelopment of the whole district. There will be a positive impact for not only the district as a built environment, but in view of the rehabilitation and creation of public areas, for its inhabitants too.

Now that most of the industrial and logistics activities have disappeared from from along the Brussels canal close to Tour & Taxis, Atenor’s UP-site project is set to breathe new life to this area. Atenor is introducing an architectural renaissance, with an iconic 42-storey tower - which will be the highest residential tower in Belgium - integrated into a mixed use programme including 30.000 m2 of office space and some retail facilities

© ATENOR – Architect : A2RC ARCHITECTS and Ateliers Lion

What is your involvement in, and opinion of, the Projet Urbain Loi? Well I have to start by congratulating the public authorities on this initiative and vision. It is essential for Brussels to structure this historic district for Europe, and to give it the quality it deserves. The questions of mobility and mixed use, along with density, needed to be broached. We took part in a competition for the parcel we are developing, and this is just at the stage of being put into operation. I regret however, that while the vision of the political world here is excellent, there is a hiccup when it comes to getting things going. It should be realised that when certain constraints including size and positioning with regard to the roadside, along with mixed use, are imposed on a developer this brings difficulties and cost. Mixing office and residential use together in one tower is not obvious. So I would ask the authorities to realise that if they impose constraints on the one hand, they have to loosen the clamps on the other.

We are involved with our Europa project, at the junction of the Rue de la Loi and the Chaussée d’Etterbeek at a spot which is physically and symbolically crucial for the PUL and European district. Our Europa project responds to all the constraints, and so we just wish to be provided now with the legal framework which will enable us to set the permit process in motion.

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TOWn PLANNING I LAND DEVELOPMENT I

Impact of the energy crisis ‘Move less before moving better’: this sounds like a slogan and it could even become one if the conclusions of a recent UCL-ULB study on land development are to be taken on board. Looking to the medium and long term, the study’s authors consider scenarios for responding to the diminishing reserves of oil, through land development. Their extremely interesting recommendations take on even more significance in the light of recent decisions by the Federal Government.

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ost reductions through decreasing office space take-up as a result of reorganising work practices according to the principles of the New World of Working (NWOW) and optimising (re)location in order to respond to mobility problems, thus gaining the loyalty of ever scarcer qualified personnel: these are two trends already well observed within service companies. They seem to move in the same direction as the conclusions of the UCL-ULB study on behalf of the CPDT (Permanent Conference for Territorial Development, supported by the Walloon Region): ‘Faced with the drying up of oil reserves, what role can the use of land in Wallonia play?’ And this is somewhat encouraging. Less so is a series of measures adopted urgently by the Federal Government – we will come back to this.

Further reading •

•

An article in French published in the review ‘Regards économiques’ (n° 87 – April 2011) summarises the study on www.uclouvain.be/ en-regards-economiques The whole of the text of the study is available in French on www.profacility.be/references

Going beyond technology This study involving Wallonia concerns the whole of the country – even the whole of the European region all around us – because relatively similar conditions enable the conclusions to be generalised.

Starting from an unquestionable observation, that our economies depend on oil, and that production of oil peaked in 2006 with 70 million barrels a day – which will never be repeated – the study analyses in what manner the use of the land (Walloon land in this case) may be able to contribute to reducing our dependence on oil which will of necessity become ever more expensive – a doubling of the price by 2035 is used as a basis (calculated at $ 150 per barrel, which may be very optimistic).

This increase makes a reduction in consumption in order to limit the impact on the economy, vital.

According to the authors, the current means for achieving this reduction are largely technological (more efficient systems: electric cars, insulation, regulation, high yield motors and heaters…) whereas the use of space and modifications to behaviour are little considered. And yet these two additional levers

may be effective in impacting on personal mobility and the locations of the place of work and the home.

The study also looks at agricultural practices and food habits, which we will not broach in this article, but which are interesting through their quantitatively surprising consequences – for the uninitiated – on the use of land.

Learning from eight scenarios Sliding across the possible conditions of future reality as though with a cursor, the authors vary parameters such as a partial migration of populations towards urban hubs, a redistribution of jobs to limit movements, the generalisation – or absence – of electric cars, and modifications to agricultural practices. From these ‘thought experiments’ they draw up eight different and sometimes contradictory scenarios, which are not a prediction of what Wallonia might look like, but an anticipation of what conditions might be like in 2035 and 2050. Each of these scenarios is analysed in terms of its possible reduction of oil consumption: this varies from -36% to -44%. In order to arrive at this result, the study sets out recommendations: • reducing mobility (‘move less rather than move better’) by modifying fiscal regimes in order to make it easier to sell residences; by stimulating the creation of better located housing (close to stations and employment hubs); by removing the benefits in kind allied to individual cars, transforming them into benefits for living close to the place of work; by encouraging remote working and office sharing; • encouraging active modes of transport (bicycles and walking); developing public transport through massive investment and generalising payment for parking in cities and employment hubs; • improving the thermal insulation of buildings; renovating the building stock (at a rate of 1 or 2% per year, and moving towards low or passive energy, or positive energy)

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• encouraging alternative fuels (including natural gas whose production peak will come later) in order to help households better resist the increase in energy prices.

Under these conditions, the authors observe, “the countryside will probably no longer be able to be somewhere for urban commuters to live (…) and three great missions could be defined for the countryside regions of tomorrow: extensive food production, energy production and green tourism”.

It goes without saying that putting this plan into

action will require a long term capacity for governance which is fairly incompatible with current budgetary problems, and also with the reality of the political agenda and its short time-frames. As a symptom of this, we can point to two recent decisions of the Di Rupo government, one of which moves in the same direction as the recommendations of the study, and the other in exactly the opposites: increased taxation on company cars and the ending of measures to encourage energy investment ...

Patrick BARTHOLOME n

Questions to Véronique Rousseau, researcher at CREAT (UCL), co-author of the study How have the conclusions of your study been received?

The study concentrates on the use of land (commissioned by Minister Ph. Henry), a question which had never been asked. Many interested reactions became apparent. Even if these are considerations for the (very) long term, the current and urgent problems of the economic crisis have not obscured as much as might have been feared, the challenges set out in our study.

Can your conclusions be extrapolated to neighbouring European regions or countries?

A recent French study came to extremely similar conclusions. Although it is not easy to assert that the model is valid for the whole of the country, it may be expected that all regions which have experienced urban sprawl thanks to the low cost of oil, will soon be facing the same sort of problems as Wallonia. To this should be added the enormous population increase forecast by the Plan and which is not a result of the urban re-concentration we expect, but which is additional to it.

According to your research, what is the principal difficulty we will be facing due to more expensive oil, in terms of use of the land?

Having read other studies (in particular the European road map to 2050), and by analysing what people feel, it becomes apparent that insulating your home or changing your car are easy, but moving home is not. Yet people will have to do this after technological solutions have given all they are going to give (insulation, better yields from heating systems and cars). And moving frightens people. But this will take place very slowly, at the level of the next generation, which will organise itself differently, thus requiring a reorganisation of the land. In view of the low cost of oil, we have never paid any attention to this: everything was accessible at low cost.

Véronique Rousseau, researcher at CREAT (UCL), co-author of the study: “When selecting a location for the company, taking account of accessibility by public transport is the real lesson to be learned from this study, by managers who have a forward-looking vision of their company and recruitment”.

What is your opinion of the ‘hot and cold’ emanating from recent federal measures?

That it would have been better to leave the reductions in place for a little longer yet. Such measures are necessary to initiate the change. Awareness is slow in coming. But it has started, including where the decision-makers are concerned. Massive investment in public transport is necessary if regions are not to find themselves isolated. But all this is for the long term and the State’s current budgetary problems are urgent…

What advice do you have for companies?

It is clear that it is more interesting to buy cheaper land a long way from a station at the moment, but in the long term it won’t be. Where real estate developers active in the residential sector are concerned, there is a degree of evolution in motion: they are no longer looking for large plots in the country to build detached houses, but smaller, denser projects close to public transport hubs.

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Town planning I ANTWERP I

Cadixwijk continues Eilandje revival The master plan for the Eilandje (‘Little’ Island) involves an area of some 172 hectares and is being implemented from south (city centre) to north (harbour and sea). In the southern area, private investments are primarily involved and the conversion to an urban area is largely complete.

Eilandje Total Eilandje area: 172 ha Quay length along the docks: 8.9 km Area of Oude Dokken: 27 ha Area of Montevideowijk: 10 ha Area of Cadixwijk: 26 ha Master plan: Buro 5, Maastricht (NL), 2002 Reconstruction of public area: 2011 - 2020 Number of residents (2010): 505 Expected number of residents (2020): 4046 Public transport: new Londenstraat/Amsterdamstraat tram line For more information see www.antwerpen.be/eilandje

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he policy for the Eilandje is to ‘keep the patina of the maritime past while completely redeveloping’. The master plan provides for development with 60% residential, 30% offices, commerce, hotels and restaurants, and 10% ‘culture’. This last aspect is being implemented to a significant degree with the MAS (Museum Aan de Stroom, (Museum on the River) and will be further completed with, among other things, the Red Star Line Museum, set to open its doors next year.

The master plan has been drafted by the Master Architect. Implementation is taking place under supervision of the municipal Town Planning organisation. For some important sub-areas, the help of the Flemish Master Architect is being

enlisted, specifically with a view to launching architectural competitions. This move is designed to take advantage of the fact that that the Flemish Master Architect attracts more and better architectural firms.

Waterwijk (Water District) In the Cadixwijk, located to the right of the Kattendijkdok/Oostkaai axis and above Londenstraat, upper- and mid-segment housing will be constructed, including up to 400 lowcost housing units from the Antwerp housing society Woonhaven. The proportion of offices will be 21%. The former customs building is being demolished to make way for offices, a supermarket, a Supervisory Council, and housing. A Cadixplein

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Last phase The ‘Mexico-eiland’, the northernmost part of the Eilandje, will be the last to be developed. The 2030 – 2035 period is cited as the implementation period. This has largely to do with the slow expiration of the concessions for those companies currently still located there. A mixture of urban functions is being considered, with space for housing, offices, and companies, and recreational functions. The future allocation of the island consists of town-planning blocks, the extent of which, and the programme for which, are still to be specified by the city.

Havenhuis as crown jewel To improve its operational efficiency, the Municipal Harbour Authority decided to centralize its administrative and technical services in new headquarters : the Havenhuis (Harbour House).

Designed by Zaha Hadid architects (London) the Havenhuis will be built like a crown jewel on top of the old fire station and in many respects will form a focal point for the northern portion of the Eilandje. Due to its structure and location it will be visible from the MAS and the oldest part of the Eilandje, while it will also be a notable ‘landmark’ for inbound ship traffic. The construction of the Havenhuis will start in 2012 and be completed in 2014. © Zaha Hadid Architects

is also being laid out, a green area for which PT Architects (Brussels) won the competition.

On the north side of the Cadixwijk (Indiëstraat) a substantial site has been offered for sale under certain conditions. The bids are being evaluated at the moment. Reconversion of the Cadixwijk will take place in blocks, and also completed by block.

Because water occupies a great deal of the area in the Cadixwijk, water projects too are included, including 50 spots for houseboats and a floating swimming pool.

Eduard CODDÉ n

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TOWN PLANNING I BRUSSELS I NEO I

Neo, a strategic hub for Brussels With the mixed-use NEO urban plan the City of Brussels wishes to exploit the huge potential of the Heyzel plateau for new economic and tourism opportunities. The tourist appeal of the world famous Atomium and the business tourism linked to Brussels’ biggest exhibition centre and the Trade Mart helps underpin this development opportunity. These currently attract over 1.5 million visitors annually. On an estimated surface of 18 hectares out of the 68 hectares making up the Heyzel Plateau, the development plan includes the building of an international-scale congress centre, a shopping mall, hotels, leisure facilities including a concert hall, sports grounds, along with new green areas and 750

A possible look for the future of the Heyzel plateau. With the basic regeneration plans drawn up, KCAP presents its vision to transforms an incoherent site (inelegant buildings, open-air car parks, derelict land, unplanned road system, etc.) into a harmonious district that is in keeping with the immediate environment and the specific features of the site and its landscape (Brussels Expo, the Atomium, the park, Trade Mart, the Kinepolis multiplex cinema,...). The presence of the (relatively new) Heyzel sports stadium and how it interacts with the project has also to be taken into account.

KCAP

homes.

T Neo programme in figures Retail 70.000 m2 Congress centre 15.000 m2 Food & beverage 9.000 m2 Restaurants and cafés 4.500 m2 Cinema 14.000 m2 Offices 19.000 m2 Apartments 750 units New expo hall 10.000 m2 Hotel 15.000 m2 Event hall 8.000 m2 Parking 5.800 spaces

he project has been slow in making progress, for reasons which include neighbouring developments and political (regional) considerations, but it is finally set to come into being now that KCAP Architects have been nominated as head planners and that both the Brussels Region Minister President, Charles Picqué, and Brussels Mayor, Freddy Thielemans, are strongly involved in the development of this project, which they presented at the Mapic in Cannes last November. Charles Picqué highlighted the economic arguments behind Neo, talking of it being a flagship project combining sustainable economic development, tourism development, job creation, international pull and the well-being of the inhabitants.

NEO describes itself as a high quality mixed-use project including a convention centre, a shopping centre, leisure, housing and exemplary public transportation which will set a new benchmark in urban redevelopment.

The perfect match With the Building of a 3,500 seat new internationalscale congress centre above the existing Heyzel metro station, the Neo project intends to boost the business tourism which is already a major economic activity in the Brussels region. The proximity of Brussels main exhibition centre and the development nearby of shopping and recreational facilities would be highly complementary.

To improve hospitality for visitors to the new

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KCAP

congress centre and also to the existing Brussels Expo and the Trade Mart an extra 500 hotel rooms would be needed and integrated into the development programme In 2006, the commercial development scheme commissioned by Regional Minister-President Charles Picqué recommended the building of one or more shopping malls. It was mentioned that Brussels would need 233,000 m2 of extra commercial space to reach the average for major Belgian cities. Today three retail development projects are competing to fill this gap and seize this real estate development opportunity : Neo, Uplace located on the opposite side of the ring in Machelen and the ‘Just under the Sky’ retail and leisure center located alongside the canal to the north west of Brussels centre, near the Van Praet bridge. From a mobility point of view, the Heyzel plateau would be an ideal site for a new shopping mall being easily accessible by car and public transport which is already extremely good, with metro and tram stations in operation.

More appeal for the Heyzel plateau Regarding leisure facilities, to give the Heyzel plateau even more appeal, the building of a new

concert hall with a capacity of 15,000 seats is also being considered. This new infrastructure would enable Brussels to host major cultural and sporting events which the city cannot accommodate at present. The further addition of a major museum beside the Congress centre such as the ‘Museum of Modern Art’ would add a cultural dimension to the area.

The development of green space and making the most of the existing park are also essential to the desired harmony of the Neo project. Sport grounds (tennis, football, athletics) would be incorporated into the new green spaces. On-road parking is set to be eliminated, and the space freed up for broad cycle-ways and pedestrian boulevards.

The concept and philosophy of Neo are well defined. The urban regeneration plans show the possible outlook of the future Heyzel plateau, developing the existing urban fabric while taking into account the interest of the neighbouring residents and prioritising the positioning of the right activities into the right places, depending on their specific forms and characteristics.

The development of green space and making the most of the existing park are also essential to the perfect harmony of the Neo project. Sport grounds (tennis, football, athletics) would be incorporated in the new green spaces. On-road parking is set to be eliminated, and the space freed up for broad cycle-ways and pedestrian boulevards.

NKCAP, chief planning bureau for NEO KCAP, the Rotterdam based firm of architects and town planners won the international competition for the selection of the chief planner for Neo. KCAP has highly valuable experience with this type of master-plan which they have carried out with success, for example, for the port of Hamburg (165 ha) or the London Olympic Games post-games site redevelopment (170 ha).

Kees Christiaanse, partner of KCAP, sees NEO Brussels as a development which will “strengthen the positioning of the Heyzel area, through a high quality development which will add value to the existing space and to introduce a sustainable development framework. A strong vision which will bring together Brussels, Belgium and Europe in one prestigious location”.

Tim HARRUP n

Closing time for Mini Europe and Océade ?

One of the possible consequences of the Neo project may be the closing of two of Brussels’ popular tourist attractions. Speaking recently, Thierry de Meeùs, owner of Mini Europe and Océade, said that he was preparing to close them down if the City of Brussels did not change its approach to Neo. The two parks are in the shadow of the Atomium, for many the very symbol of Belgium itself, and obviously unaffected by the plans for Neo. However, reacting to these comments

by Thierry de Meeùs, a spokesman for the City of Brussels said that Mini Europe and Océade had never been excluded from the Neo project, and that no ‘take it or leave it’ proposition had been made to their owners. Interviewed some time ago about this, Thierry de Meeùs pointed out that when Bulgaria joined the EU, a question was even asked in its parliament about when a symbol of the country would appear in Mini Europe…

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TOWN PLANNING I REVITALISING A FORMER INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX I

Seraing to give itself a city centre Born of a merger between four old communes, disembowelled and chopped up at its lower end by heavy industry, the town of Seraing is synonymous with steelmaking and industrial eyesores. But this is to know it poorly, both in terms of its present and its future.

Who is aware, for example, that a third of the commune is covered in forest? A master plan with a rarely equalled level of ambition has been established for this commune

doc. Eriges

which is set to be re-born.

At either side of the river, the entrance to the city of Seraing will be profoundly altered, especially on the right bank

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dozen or so years ago a group of planners, architects and economists established a Master plan for the city of Seraing under the authority of Bernard Reichen. This French town planner specialises in the renovation of heritage complexes, particularly those from an industrial heritage.

The plan, one of the most ambitious in Europe, covers 800 ha, embraces 320 projects and involves the whole of the part of Seraing located in the Meuse valley. Since the 19th century, these riverbanks have been given over to steelmaking, which has left a giant scar in the landscape and perturbed urban development. The disappearance of a substantial part of this heavy industry, first announced, then delayed, then confirmed again in January following the Laplace Conseils report, has been like a slow waltz when it comes to putting all or part of this master plan into operation. Now it appears not just to be on the road, but already partially achieved.

Revitalising the city Seraing is the second most important city of the province of Liège. And one of the ambitions of the master plan is to give this city a centre, something which was impossible while the steelmaking installations deprived the area of its structure. One hundred million Euros of public money have been provided by the City, Europe, the Region and the Federal state with the avowed objective of Alain Mathot, Mayor, ‘that the private sector will provide a further 300 million’. Another objective is to attract inhabitants able to generate income for the city. The districts involved currently record levels of unemployment standing at 41%. Achieving this plan should create 800 jobs.

A few projects among many others The plan sets out the creation of channels of greenery from the upper part of the town and to structure the space with an urban boulevard running from east to west. Works may start at the end of 2012 and be completed during 2014.

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It is also planned to create a north-south axis by widening the Rue Cockerill to the south, so that it runs into the new urban boulevard. The new commune administrative centre is already being built on the Place Kuborn. The shell is set to be completed by the end of March 2012 (opening in the summer of 2013).

Still at the entrance to the city on the riverbank, the CMI company, owners of the Château de Seraing, has just demolished an old hangar in order to build the ‘Orangery’ an office building with a park, opening out onto the city (end of works scheduled for June 2013). The modifications to the bankside roadways will enable the Château to emerge from the ditch in which it currently appears to be buried. Just to the side, the themed Gastronomia

(former Neocitta II) shopping centre will adjoin a new public park. Further to the east, the former LD steelworks is now a 17 ha area for SME’s, managed by the SPI+ and ready to come into service: Arcelor Mittal has finished the cleansing works. During the first half of 2012, the SPI+ will call for tenders for a project designer for this, so that it will be recognised as an economic activity zone and qualify for certain grants. In this same district, there are also projects for the 4 ha of the ‘Central workshops’ of Arcelor Mittal and for the ‘Locomotive workshops’.

To the west, on the Val St-Lambert, site, the future Cristal Park will be home to a mix of activities: housing, aquatic leisure activities, offices and a hotel.

Patrick BARTHOLOME ■

ERIGES, the hinge for the project This autonomous communal authority is in charge of putting the Seraing master plan into operation. It is also setting up public-private partnerships for the real estate operations. The master plan explaining the post-industrial revitalisation of the city of Seraing can be downloaded at www.eriges.be/fr/documents/24-master-plan-version-finale.aspx Also to see : www.eriges.be and www.seraing.be/-Les-grands-projets-.html

www.pro-realestate.be/ library The French version of this article can be downloaded from the online library.

Articles are classified by publishing date. You can also find the article by instigating a search using the title of this article in the website homepage search window.

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© SAQ / Jaspers - Eyers Architects / Archi 200

Town planning I projects I BELAIR

Brussels City Center Belair aims to transform the site previously known as the ‘State administrative center‘ into a new vibrant area for living and working. The urban renovation project aims to connect the uptown and downtown districts of Brussels city center. It involves the refurbishment of the existing buildings on and around the Boulevard Pacheco/Rue Royale together with the construction of two new emblematic residential towers.

This real estate development project schedules over 135,000 m² of construction or rehabilitation with 69.000 m2 for offices, 47,000 m² of residential accommodation, 5,000 m² of retail space, a 120 room hotel and public areas.

TOURS & TAXIS Brussels City Center

image Tour & Taxis

The 30-hectares Tour & Taxis site along the canal in Brussels and neighbouring the North District, is a long term development program. Together with the UP-site project on the opposite side of the canal; the real estate developer of Tour & Taxis aims of establishing an entire new district for Brussels with housing, shops, offices, services and public infrastructure. The most visible existing building of Tour & Taxis is the Royal Warehouse which accommodates around forty companies on its upper floors, with shops and services on the ground floor. With total space of 17,000 m², the Sheds just to the rear of the Royal Warehouse are principally used for fairs and events. The further development of Tour & Taxis will see not only the restoration of the remaining heritage buildings on the site, but 370,000 m² of new constructed space from which 148.000 m2 for offices and, as a flagship, the new offices for the Brussels Environment service (IBGE) which intends to be the greenest passive building in Europe.

THE LOOP Ghent - E40

The Loop is undoubtedly the largest urban project in the Ghent region, located to the edge of the E40 motorway, neighbouring the Flanders Expo exhibition center and at 4 km to the west of Ghent city centre. The Loop mixed-use programme will see, in time, 150,000 m² of office space being built (of which the MG Tower represents around 21,000 m²), 69,000 m² scheduled for retail, 40,000 m² for leisure, 37,500 m² for hotel activities, and 65,000 m² for residential. Ikea which opened in 2009 represents a little under half of the retail development.

IPZ

Antwerp South

aerial picture@ Aerodata International Survey

Just to the south of Antwerp city center, beyond the iconic new law courts, the city is developing a mixed-use area currently known as ‘South Petroleum Investment Zone’ (IPZ), a reference to its past vocation. In total, a surface area of 75 hectares will be constructed on a site of some 113 hectares which includes a 13-hectares zone destined for smart logistics and ‘city logistics’; 35 hectares for ‘eco-effective’ production and R&D activities, a 25,000-seater new football stadium and some 15,000 m² of retail space.

ANTWERP HEADQUARTERS

Antwerp

Real estate companies operating in Antwerp have come together with the city of Antwerp to boost the office-based business sector in the city. Along with Flanders Investment & Trade and the Port of Antwerp, private operators are partners in ‘Antwerp Headquarters’.

The association is involved in four major urban regeneration projects across the city :the Docklands, the Diamond District, Berchem Station, and ‘West Park’ (on the western bank of the River Schelde). All of these projects feature a mix of functions including residential, offices, shopping and services.

24 BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012

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More on www.pro-realesTaTe/projecTs

CITY DOCKS

Brussels South canal-side

© Ateliers Jean Nouvel / MDW Architecture

© rendering A2RC ARCHITECTS

© Atenor group

Located between the Brussels Ring and the South District alongside the canal and not far from the South city railway station, City Docks will constitute a new dynamic for this strategic site, and contribute to the rehabilitation of the canal-sides which is taking place along much of its length. The master plan and mixed architecture’s styles for the 5-hectares City Docks development are still to be unveiled according to the evolving town planning regulations for this zone. City Docks will include a wide variety of functions: offices, residential, retail, crèche, polyclinic, rest home, public areas and infrastructure.

HÔTEL DE POLICE & CHARLEROI DANSES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Charleroi

The objective of the new ‘Hôtel de Police’ project designed by the famous French architect Jean Nouvel in partnership with MDW Architects is to give the police a public and accessible image and to open the site out to the city. A conical, 75 meters 20-storey tower will be visible from various points of the city. This tower is set to be the first passive tower in Belgium. Alongside it, the Charleroi Danses Art Centre (45,000 m²) will be connected to the tower by a vast open public esplanade.

UP-SITE

Brussels Center canal-side UP-site project is one of the most ambitious urban regeneration projects to be seen in Brussels. Following four years of works which started last year, the real estate development programme includes the building of the highest residential tower in Belgium – some 140 meters forming part of the 48,000 m² of residential accommodation – along with around 30,000 m² of offices. This project has been well supported by the Brussels public authorities, which designated the entire zone a ‘zone of priority intervention’ some twenty years ago, and it thus includes a good proportion of public spaces, along with mobility services. Within this concept of ‘built-in mobility’, new bus and tram lines are scheduled to serve the site from the North station, and continue on via Up-site into Tour & Taxis.The developer of UP-site is financing the renovation of the canal banks, with staircases being created to provide access to the water’s edge.

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Following a series of controversies, ‘Au fil de l’eau’, the retail centre project on the banks of the Vesdre, at Verviers finally received the approval of Walloon planning Minister Philippe Henry in April 2011.

© ATENOR © Jaspers-Eyers Architects

One of the only projects soon to come onto the Antwerp market is the Onyx Building : 12.000 m² of offices at a prime location on the Antwerp Singel, with easy access provided by its location close to the exits of the ring road and the E19 motorway.

© Détrois - DDS& Patners Architects - Altiplan Architects

The Victor project developed by Atenor will greatly contribute to the rehabilitation of the area around Brussels South Station.

The mixed used project will total 100.000 m2 including offices, retail and residential space and combines a variety of volumes in order to integrate the existing Midi Tower (currently the tallest in Belgium) into the overall aesthetics.

6 BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2011

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REAL ESTATE MARKETS & PROJECTS

T

he real estate market has had to adapt to a new reality over the past year or so. Vacancy remains stubbornly high in certain zones, and particularly for those buildings which, far from conforming to the latest norms in terms of low energy (or even zero energy) use, good public transport access etc., do not even conform to the norms of the ‘just before green’ period. Of perhaps even greater concern, though, is the number of relatively new buildings which are finding it difficult or impossible to find takers. This has led to a veritable upheaval in the way the real estate market is perceived: offices are no longer king, and indeed many former offices which fit into the ‘becoming rapidly obsolete’ category are now being converted to other uses. Who would have predicted that a few years ago?

In this section, we look at the current state of the different segments, the projects on the way, availability and the state of the regional markets.

SUMMARY 29 34 36 42 46 48 50 52 54 56 58

Brussels office market, at the edge of a new era Brussels, prime offices to let Office projects in the pipeline for the Brussels region Another reasonable year for the Antwerp office market Mechelen, well located for further growth Ghent, many projects in the pipeline but sluggish take-up Liege, projects waiting in the wings to satisfy demand Retail, 2011: interesting market with little prime availability Uplace, green light for 190,000 m² of experiences Shopping centres’ projects in the pipeline 2011 was an exceptional year for logistics

Other articles about the real estate market trends and projects published in the ‘Belgium Real Estate Showcase’ previous edition, or in the Profacility magazine, can be consulted on www.pro-realestate.be/library. All articles are classified by date. They can be downloaded in PDF format either in French, Dutch or English. You can also find an article by instigating a search using the title of this article in the website homepage search window.

Offices: rental market I The provinces compete with the capital (12/09/2011) Impact of multimodal transport on industrial property development (23/05/2011) Logistics in Wallonia: 1 million m2 of buildings to be renovated (07/03/2011) Logistics: stable market, stable demand, building freeze (28/02/2011)

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Arch. Jaspers-Eyers & Partners

A unique project in the heart of Brussels

33,000 sqm of offices

6,500 sqm

of polyvalent surfaces

199 parking spaces

Anixton, an independant consultant in corporate real estate, has been exclusively instructed for the marketing (letting & sale) of the “de Ligne” project, ideally located in the heart of Brussels, close to the Central Station.

A permit has been granted to redevelop a building of 33,000 sqm of offices and 6,500 sqm of polyvalent surfaces with 199 parking spaces.

The new building is designed to offer “state-of-the-art” specifications in terms of technical and environmental aspects.

The property benefits from an exceptional location for occupiers and a unique opportunity for developers and/or investors.

More information :

+32 2 721 99 23 | deligne@anixton.com | deligne.anixton.com

Untitled-3 1 Deligne_uk_A4.indd 1 ANIX4493_Adv

Corporate Real Estate Solutions

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OFFICES I MARKET TRENDS I bRuSSElS I

Brussels office market, at the dawn of a new era The office market in Brussels and its periphery have experienced a substantial drop in take-up compared to the average of the past five years, and vacancy which is still above the 10% mark. There are new threats appearing too, such as the announced regrouping of State services which may lead to a reduction of 25 to 30% in the surface area occupied by civil servants, and the growing appetite of investors and developers for other market segments (residential, retail etc.).

Rents under pressure Demand is still led by the private sector, although to a lesser degree than in previous years. This sector represents around 60% of total take-up. Rents remain under pressure due to weak demand and an increase in supply. Tenants are generally adopting a ‘wait and see’ attitude and many companies are taking advantage of lease breaks to renegotiate their

financial conditions. Within this context of weak demand, owners are finding it hard to find new tenants and are offering rent free periods and other incentives in order to try and attract them. This pressure seems more in evidence in the decentralised areas than in the business districts. The expected decrease in vacancy rates resulting from a slow-down in speculative projects, should lead to a diminishing of incentives in these districts.

Investment on the up With a total of € 528,000,000 invested in the Brussels office market in 2011, investment volumes were up by a modest 3% compared to 2010 despite the slow economic recovery resulting from the recently emerging Greek crisis, economic and political uncertainty and the Euro crisis.

Quality office buildings with long term leases remain the most sought-after assets. Buildings located on the periphery have been the most affected by a decrease in investments. They present, in fact, a higher risk of rental vacancy and are thus not of as much interest to ever more selective investors.

Analysis of the market and projects by business district South (Midi) District This district is located around the South Station, and has greatly developed over the past fifteen years. Its numerous new developments, combined with the arrival of the TGV and the complete refitting of the South Station, have turned it into an office zone in its own right. Its principal occupants are public administrations and service companies such as the SNCB, Infrabel, Smalls etc. The South District is above all a lessors’ market.

Supply is limited and demand more substantial. This is reflected by a very low vacancy rate (below 2%), which means that potential tenants for this district have little negotiating room. Prime rent stands at €200 /m²/year.

The landmark project in this district is ‘Victor’, an Atenor Group and CFE development representing a total surface area of some 100,000 m².

This project involves the construction of three office towers and a smaller residential tower on the ‘Lombard’ block (Rue Blérot, alongside the Midi Tower). A planning permit request has been lodged by the developer.

Guibert de Crombrugghe, Managing Director - MRICS de Crombrugghe & Partners

Patrizia Tortolani, Econcomist - MRICS de Crombrugghe & Partners

© A2RC Architects - photo: g.kinder.com

T

ake-up in 2011 totalled around 363,000 m², or some 26% less than the previous year.

The take-up by the European Commission of the remaining space in ‘The Capital’ located right in the heart of the Leopold district, around 46,000 m², and of 12,000 m² by a service of the SNCB (Xpedys) and by the French Community in the Zenith Tower (North District), enabled an even more severe decrease to be avoided. As with the previous year, activity was mostly concentrated in the central business districts of Brussels (Centre, South, North, Louise and Leopold) which accounted for almost 64% of take-up, against 15% in the decentralised area and 21% in the periphery.

‘South Crystal’ is one of the new office buildings helping to make the area around the South Station a business district in its own right. The building was developed by Immobel and then sold in june 2011 by the company (along with Sofico, CFE and Besix RED) to Ethias. The surface area of around 6,500 m² is entirely let to SNCB Holding.

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OFFICES I MARKET TRENDS I bRuSSElS I

business districts in the brussels Capital region

Market Dashboard 2011: 14,180,000 m2 of offices in brussels representing around 60 % of the belgian market Centre (Pentagon)

South

Leopold

North

Louise

Decentralised

Periphery

Stock

DISTRICTS

2,505,000

510,000

3,310,000

1,620,000

860,000

3,255,000

2,750,000

Percentage

16.9%

3.4%

22.3%

10.9%

5.8%

22.0%

18.6%

45.1%

21.7%

27.5%

16.1%

47.1%

33.7%

10.3%

of total stock Proportion of second hand buildings Vacancy level

5.0%

2.0%

7.5%

8.5%

12.0%

15.0%

22.0%

Prime rents

210

200

275

190

210

170

160

Prime yields

6.50%

6.70%

6.25%

6.75%

6.80%

8.00%

8.00%

Strong and weak points of the various districts of the Brussels Capital Region Advantageous fiscal regime

-

-

--

-

-

++

Access by public transport

++

++

++

=

-

--

Quality of stock

=

+

++

-

=

+

Presence of facilities

++

++

++

++

+

+

Presence of green areas

-

--

-

=

+

++

++ Excellent

= Average

- Bad

-- Very bad

+ Good

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© image rebdering Detrois

Centre (Pentagon) This takes in the whole of the zone contained within the inner ring road. It constitutes the financial centre of the city and the country, through the presence of the Brussels stock exchange and the National Bank, which has attracted many other banks here over time.

This zone is bounded by first rate shopping streets. Going beyond the presence of Central Station around which have developed numerous large scale projects over recent years, this zone has the advantage of excellent public transport networks, which represents an overriding criterion in selecting a location, particularly for the large institutions and public administrations. The principal occupants to be found here are Belgian financial groups, public administrations and private companies. As well as the good image of the district, it also possesses an excellent ‘Empress Court’ occupies a strategic location alongside Brussels Central Station. The building was totally mix of functions and services. This zone is renovated by Befimmo before being sold to Vivaqua to be used as their new headquarters where they moved in gaining in importance, thanks in particular august 2011. Empress Court was first constructed in 1959, but its 14,000 m² of space now meet very high levels of ecological performance. to numerous renovation and reconstruction projects for administrative and residential buildings.

This zone has the lowest vacancy rate in Brussels (after the Midi district), at around 5%, which is a little lower than in 2010. Few projects are currently underway or scheduled in this zone, with total renovations being the principal activity. Among these are De Ligne (around 35,000 m²), the former headquarters of Allianz Belgium on the Place de Brouckère (some 50,000 m²) and above all the ex-State Administrative complex, also known now as Belair, which represents an extra surface area of approximately 100,000 m² of offices (of which almost 54,000 m² have already been pre-let to the Federal Police in the buildings D& F) and works on which are due to be completed by 2013.

© photo CODIC – Yvan Glavie

North District This district has become gained in importance over the past 20 years, in particular due to the lack of available sites in Brussels. This is a modern district, located just outside the Pentagon, around the Boulevard Albert II, between the Avenue du Port and the North Station. This district benefits from a good network of public transport facilities. Companies located in the North District are from various sectors, and generally have need of substantial amounts of office space. The public sector still represents a substantial proportion. The installation of the European Commission in Covent Garden was also a first step towards the European presence in this side of the town.

This district is continuing on its path because following Boréal (35,000 m²) the GDF-Suez towers (two towers with a total surface area of 75,000 m² developed by AG Real Estate), the Zenith tower (30,000 m²) which is still looking for tenants for some of its space, new large scale projects are also seeing light of day, including: • the UP-site project developed by Atenor, on a 1.2 hectare site located along the canal at the level of the Quai des Armateurs, and opposite the Tour & Taxis site. This project schedules retailing (1,970 m²), offices (29,600 m² and with certain buildings having already found takers: Smalls – 7,000 m², Unizo – 6,700 m²); there is also around 48,450 m² of residential accommodation, including 36,100 m² in the 42-storey tower.

• Silver Tower, a new 30 storey tower set to overlook the Botanic Building from Allianz Developers AG Real Estate Development are expected to wait for an occupant before launching the project, which will lead to less impact Sitting astride the Avenue du Roi Albert II, the ‘Zenith’ building, designed by the archi on the vacancy rate in the district. tects CERAU and SCAU, closes the avenue at its lower end. Zenith remained empty for • the redevelopment of the Tour & Taxis site, which schedules a long time after its completion, but this particularly green building located in the North District found its first occupants in 2011, some 12,000 m² in total occupied by a service around 148,000 m² of offices, although the timing is difficult of the SNCB (Xpedys) and by the French Community. to estimate.

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© Image – The Platinum – picture@georgesdekinder.com

OFFICES I MARKET TRENDS I brussels I

The rental level of €/210 m²/year achieved in 2011 for the ‘Platinum’ and also for the’ IT Tower’ indicate a return to the prime rent previously obtained in the Louise district, an encouraging sign for this district which, of all of the central districts, is currently recording the highest vacancy level around 12 %

Louise District This district is located to the south of the inner ring road, essentially along the Avenue Louise, between the Porte Louise and the Cambre woods. Access to this zone is less easy and the office buildings contained within it tend to be of older construction. Over the past few years the city has been orienting its policy towards converting office buildings into residential. This is a mixed environment which includes residential, offices, some high quality shops, hotels and restaurants.

It is largely small and medium private companies which have located here, along with law firms and consultants, attracted amongst others by the proximity of the law courts.

The advantage of this zone is that there are still small, efficient surface areas to be found. The Louise District records one of the highest vacancy levels of the central districts, with a rate of around 12%, even though new projects are relatively scarce. The low level of projects underway will in time lead to stabilisation within the market and a decrease in vacancy level can be expected. E-Lite, the renovation of the former Bayer building (around 7,000 m² of offices) by the real estate developer Pylos, is one of the only large scale projects in this district.

Leopold (European) District With approaching 22% of total Brussels office stock (almost 3,310,000 m²), the Leopold District represents without any doubt the most important business district of the capital, with the Schuman roundabout and the Square de Meeûs as its nerve centres. This district is located to the east of the city centre and is spread around the Rue de le Loi and Rue Belliard, between the Boulevard du Régent and the Cinquantenaire Park. It has the advantage of an excellent network of public transport, and is in particular served by the Luxembourg and Schuman railway stations, enabling immediate connections with the entire national and international network, as well as with the TGV terminals. Many metro stations and bus lines also serve the district, with their axis on the Rue de la Loi. It is essentially the European institutions which occupy this district, along with the major national ministries, and certain Belgian and foreign company headquarters. The presence of the European Parliament and Council of Ministers only serves to strengthen its attraction. The installation of the European Commission in Madou Tower suggests that the European District is beginning to extend towards the North District. Thanks to large scale take-up transactions such as the remainder of The Capital (46,000 m²), an Axa Belgium project on the Schuman roundabout, the vacancy level has decreased compared to the previous year, standing at around 7.5%.

Certain projects are underway in the district. These include Arts-Lux (18,000 m²) and Justus Lipsius II (60,000 m²), Frère Orban (28,000 m²), Science 15-17 (17,700 m²), Brussels Europa (30,000 m²) and Realex (28,500 m²).

When the Projet Urbain Loi (PUL) starts to take shape (it appeared in the ‘Moniteur’ in January 2011), this will undoubtedly have a morphological effect on the district. This project is leading to particular attention being paid to the Leopold district by the regional authorities, which are responsible for establishing a new urban plan for 2012 at the latest in order to make of this zone the major international and European employment hub of the region, as well as being a diversified residential area and a cultural, sports and leisure district accessible to all. The PUL extends over ten blocks located around the Rue de la Loi and is currently home to some 560,000 m² of offices. The objective over time is to break up the ‘corridor effect’ represented by the Rue de la Loi, improve pedestrian flows, create green public areas, improve mobility and reduce the number of driving lanes on the Rue de la Loi and Rue Belliard. All new construction and renovation projects have to take account of new urban planning legislation, such as new building frontages, a mix of functions and the new surface area to ground ‘The Capital’ benefits from being opposite both the Berlaymont and the Council of area ratio of 8, which will be applied to each of the blocks, implying Ministers. It represents one of the largest new buildings to appear in the very heart of the Leopold district. Around 56,000 m² of space right on the Schuman roundabout an extension potential for certain buildings. is now mostly let to the European Commission, following a very lengthy negotiation period which made the news regularly last year.

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© rendering SOM

Decentralised (within the Brussels Capital Region) This zone includes the other districts located within the 19 communes of Brussels. It is less homogenous and office buildings zones are concentrated along the major thoroughfares, such as the Chaussée de La Hulpe, Boulevard du Souverain, Boulevard de la Plaine, Boulevard du Triomphe and Boulevard de la Woluwe. It is essentially large international companies such as BASF, Levi Strauss etc. which choose to locate here. It can be observed that the districts which are well served by public transport, such as the Chaussée de La Hulpe and the Boulevard du Souverain, perform far better than those zones with a less developed public transport network, such as the Rue Colonel Bourg and Marcel Thiry, where a very high vacancy level is to be found. Within this context, converting office buildings into residential use is one option envisaged in these more difficult districts. The absence of speculative projects has led to a decrease in supply, and a vacancy level of around 15%.

The largest project in this zone will without doubt be the 200,000 m² project located on the Avenue du Bourget and destined for the new headquarters of NATO, which is set to move in 2014 if the programme remains on schedule.

The Delta site, which straddles the communes of Auderghem, Watermael-Boitsfort and Ixelles at the end of the E411 motorway, is also attracting a great deal of attention. The 30 hectares here represent one of the remaining large tracts of available land in the capital. It is in particular scheduled to accommodate the Chirec hospital complex and its associated services (shops, hotels, seminar facilities, laboratories) and will extend to some 125,000 m² over 5 hectares. This centre is scheduled for construction between 2013 and 2017. In parallel with this, the European Commission has expressed particular interest in this site in order to bring together its services (the Schaerbeek-Josaphat site was also proposed to them). Its requirements will total around 200,000 m². However, many voices are being braised in opposition to this project, judged to be too big NATO is set to move into its new Headquarters (200.000 m²) in Brussels on the and too expensive. The debate is likely to go on for some years.

Avenue du Bourget in 2014.

Because of the diversity of districts within it, rents in this zone vary greatly from one district to another. In certain areas, rents even appear to have fallen below the € 100/m²/year mark.

Ring and Periphery (outside of the Brussels Capital Region) This zone, located outside of the Brussels Capital Region and which takes in those communes alongside the Ring (Machelen, Zaventem, Waterloo etc.), has grown considerably since the 80’s with the development of numerous office parks. This first took place around the airport at Zaventem (Keiberg, Airway Park, Airport Business Center, Ikaros, Airport Plaza, Astra Gardens, Pegasus, Corporate Village) which is a zone in its own right, and then extended towards more distant zones such as Waterloo, Braine l’Alleud, La Hulpe, Hoeilaert, etc. (Parc de l’Alliance, Waterloo Office Park, Collines de Wavre, Axis Park, Watson & Crick Hill etc.).

Accessibility by car is good, although this has been less evident over recent years, due in particular to the substantial concentration of office parks in these zones and to a road network which is not totally suited to this. These parks are generally less well served by public transport, even though a genuine effort to improve the network is to be observed, especially around Zaventem. Occupants here are largely computer and technological companies. The major attraction is to be found in the rental levels, more competitive than the city centre, coupled with a more advantageous fiscal policy.

This zone is increasingly suffering from districts located close to stations in the regional towns (Louvain, Mechelen, Ghent and Baxter Europe has elected to locate its new headquarters in the Parc de l’Alliance site Antwerp). Growing mobility problems allied to an under-developed at Braine-l’Alleud/ Waterloo. Where mobility is concerned, the site is close to Brainepublic transport network have made the zone around the airport less l’Alleud railway station, the Brussels Ring and Charleroi and Zaventem airports. attractive. This is one of the reasons for the historically high vacancy rate in the business parks around the airport, with levels ranging from Guibert de Crombrugghe 14 % right up to 50 % in the Keiberg.

Managing Director - MRICS Patrizia Tortolani Econcomist - MRICS n

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OFFICES I MARKET I brussels I

Prime offices to let Here we present a selection of prime buildings located in Brussels and its periphery which have office space to let.

This selection made mid-February 2012 enlist properties having immediate availability for office space with a minimum of 5.000 m2 or more. The list is by no means exhaustive, and has been compiled from information supplied by the three letting agents, who advised us of their mandates. Other ‘joint mandates’ from other agencies may be in place.

Properties are classified by business district.

NAME

ADDRESS

CB Richard Ellis

M2

Cushman & Wakefield

Jones Lang LaSalle

CENTRE Brouckere Tower

1 Boulevard Anspach - 1000 Brussels

32,000 m2

•

Marquis

1 Rue du Marquis - 1000 Brussels

20,650 m

•

Royal Treurenberg

4 Place de Louvain – 1000 Brussels

14,000 m2

•

Pépinière

20 Rue de la pépinière - 1000 Brussels

6,710 m

•

Bota 145

145 Rue Royale – 1000 Brussels

6,240 m

Arts 56

56 Avenue des Arts - 1000 Brussels

21,000 m2

•

Loi 15

15 Rue de la Loi - 1040 Brussels

16,700 m

•

•

Pericles

21-25 Rue de la Science - 1040 Brussels

9,880 m

•

•

Art Building

20 Avenue des Arts - 1000 Brussels

6,170 m

•

•

Science Montoyer

8 Rue de la Science -1040 Brussels

5,160 m

•

Covent Garden

Rue de Brabant/ Rue St. Lazare - 1030 Brussels

19,490 m2

Zenith

37 Boulevard. du Roi Albert II -1030 Brussels

17,130 m

North Plaza B

7 Boulevard. du Roi Albert I -1210 Brussels

14,650 m

•

Rogier Tower (ex-Dexia)

Place Rogier - 1210 Brussels

14,500 m

•

Eolis

13-15 Square Sainctellette -1000 Brussels

8,870 m

•

•

110 Chaussée de Charleroi - 1060 Brussels

18,660 m2

•

•

Silver Building

70 Boulevard Auguste Reyers - 1030 Brussels

23,100 m2

Woluwe Office Garden

24-30 Woluwedaal - 1932 Sint-Stevens-Woluwe

18,590 m2

Plaine 11-15

11-15 Boulevard De la Plaine - 1050 Brussels

14,000 m2

•

Solaris

120 Chaussée de la Hulpe – 1170 Brussels

14,000 m2

•

Lavoisier

40 Rue de Koninck – 1080 Brussels

13,900 m2

Woluwe Heights

110 Avenue des Communautés - 1200 Brussels

13,490 m2

Atlantis

584 Avenue Charles Quint - 1082 Brussels

17,430 m2

•

Airport Plaza

Vuurberg - 1831 Diegem

33,270 m2

•

•

Corporate Village

5 L. Da Vincilaan - 1831 Diegem

2

28,440 m

•

•

Pegasus

6 De Kleetlaan - 1831 Diegem

16,980 m2

•

Airway Park

18-23 Lozenberg - 1932 Sint-Stevens-Woluwe

15,480 m

•

2

2

2

•

•

•

EUROPEAN DISTRICT

2

2

2

2

• •

NORTH DISTRICT • •

2

2

2

2

•

LOUISE Trio

•

DECENTRALISED • •

•

SDRB/BRDA

• •

PERIPHERY NORTH

2

•

34 BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012

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PROPERTY to RENT

LAVOISIER “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed” Antoine Lavoisier 1743-1794

Location: Rue De Koninck 40, 1080 Brussels Space available: modular spaces from 500 to 13,900 m² Pricing: starting at 60 euros/m² per year Energy performance level: E index 65 Global thermal insulation level: K index 42 Architect: Assar Architects Flexible modules The Lavoisier building is located on the site of the former British American Tobacco cigarette and tobacco plant. It has been completely renovated by the Brussels Regional Development Agency (BRDA/SRDB) and offers beautiful spaces for small, medium and large companies.

The Lavoisier building consists of flexible modules of 500 m2 to 13,900 m2. As there are currently no partitions, the space provides many layout options.

A pleasant work environment The complex is subtly laid out to ensure fluid internal movement. The work environment is pleasant and well-ventilated. It has unequalled natural light thanks to its large bay windows and the comfortable height of the ceilings. Air is fed into the work areas via a network of visible ceiling pipes. The pulsed air is heated in the winter and cooled in the summer. The double-pane windows are equipped with electrically-operated solar blinds that can be adjusted automatically.

An energy-efficient building The building uses high-performance insulation and is particularly energy-efficient.

Performance is identical to that of new construction.

A site at the heart of the city The Lavoisier site is near the Gare de l’Ouest and Beekkant metro stations. The Ring and the Midi train station are both less than 4 kilometres away. The site also has private parking spaces.

There are many services close by (banks, post office, shops, etc.)

For more information please contact BRDA - Brussels Regional Development Agency Rue Gabrielle Petit 6, 1080 Brussels T +32 2 422 51 51 commercial@sdrb.be www.sdrb.be

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OFFICES I projects I BRUSSELS I

DE LIGNE

7 Bankstraat, 1000 Brussels New Star Property Asset Management Jaspers-Eyers Architects 33.000 m² offices + 6,500 m2 polyvalent surface 199 spaces Permit delivered

This project involves the renovation of an existing office building with accompanying underground parking facility, mixed use areas, archives and technical rooms. It is located just behind the main St Michel and Gudule Cathedral, in the historic heart of Brussels just above the Grand Place, with easy access by public transport including the nearby Central railway station. The renovation will enable the building to meet contemporary comfort requirements, technical standards and environmental legislation. More information : deligne.anixton.com

© Atenor Group

© Atenor Group

Developer Architects Surface area Parking: Status

VICTOR

Rue Blérot / Place Victor Horta 1060 & 1070 Brussels Developers Architects Status

Atenor Group / BPI Atelier Christian de Portzamparc / Jaspers - Eyers Architects Permits expected in 2012, start of works to follow

Victor is a project designed to contribute to the rehabilitation of the area around Brussels South Station, the first sight of the Belgian and European capital for those arriving by one of the many international rail services which terminate here. The mixed used project will total 100.000 m2 including offices, retail and residential space and combines a variety of volumes in order to integrate the existing Midi Tower (currently the tallest in Belgium) into the overall aesthetics. A specific ‘signposting’ technique runs through the whole of Victor, giving it a strong identity.

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15 Rue Montoyer, 1000 Brussels Developer Architect Surface area Parking Delivery

Immobel Art & Build 11,462 m2 (above ground) + vast archives area in basement -2 55 spaces including 30 spaces specially designed to accommodate electric cars end 2013

© Gabari / Art & Build for Immobel

BLACK PEARL

Located in the Brussels CBD in the European district, the 8-storey Black Pearl will soon replace a series of chaotic obsolete office buildings. A new landscaped garden will be a major feature for occupants and a peaceful oasis for the neighbourhood in an otherwise densely built city block. Black Pearl represents contrasts: the curved corner contrasts with the otherwise squared plan of the CBD and the adjacent box-like 70s buildings.

Additionally the black granite frame of Black Pearl contrasts with the transparency of the façade in general and at ground level in particular which is designed to allow passers by to view the newly created garden.

Black Pearl will be one of the first buildings in the CBD to achieve a BREAAM Excellent rating under the 2009 version of BREAAM Europe Commercial. Sustainable features include geothermal technology, triple-glazing, green roofs and a rainwater basin in the basement.

SITE BOCH - LA LOUVIÈRE Transforming a brownfield site to a mixed urban retail-leisure-residential area Developer: Architects: Site area: Retail & leisure: Residential: Parking: Opening

Wilhelm & Co. Ron Arad 15 ha.

39,000 m² 60,000 m² (600 apartments) 1,500 spaces 2013/2014

Following the major city centre renewal programmes completed at Louvain-la-Neuve and Liège, Wilhelm & Co. is now embarking on a similar project for the town of La Louvière, located some 40 km to the south of Brussels. On the former Boch porcelain site, this project intends to rebuild the complete town centre through the creation of over 30,000 m² of retail space, some 60,000 m² of residential accommodation, and other functions including a cinema complex, a museum (constructed by the public authorities) and offices. A substantial amount of green space has been scheduled, and there will be car parking for 1,500 cars. The shopping centre will have direct pedestrian access to the town centre and the new railway station The Wilhelm & Co. / Ron Arad partnership has worked together to produce the successful ‘Médiacité’ project in Liège; the same approach is being used for Boch site.

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© Jaspers - Eyers Architects

OFFICES I projects I BRUSSELS I

E-LITE

143 Avenue Louise, 1050 Brussels Developer Architect Surface area Parking Delivery

Pylos Jaspers - Eyers Architects 7.000 m2 offices 66 spaces Q1 2013

© Detrois

The development will transform the former Bayer Headquarter on the Avenue Louise, into a new office development combining low energy technologies with prestigious architecture. The project will be BREEAM and Valideo certified, both obtaining a global ‘very good’ level. E-Lite will offer improved accessibility, alternative mobility facilities, accessible terraces and patios, natural light for all offices, high efficiency energetic concepts and sustainability.

FOCUS PARK Culliganlaan, 1831 Diegem Developers Architect Surface area Parking Delivery

Sopedi - Pylos Archi+I 21,121 m² Offices 463 spaces Q4 2013

Focus Park is located in the airport zone, a few hundred meters from the airport itself and also with excellent train, bus and car access. It is alongside the Brussels Ring motorway interchange.

Focus Park offers quality architecture along with green and sustainable techniques. This energy-conscious choice has the objective of achieving BREEAM ‘Very Good’ certification.

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SILVER TOWER

Place Saint-Lazare, 1210 Brussels AG Real Estate Accarain-Bouillot / Atelier d’Architecture de Genval 33,000 m² Permit obtained - startof construction to be announced

© Image Studio Milo for AG Real Estate

Located in the North District and close to the city centre (Place Rogier, Rue Neuve, City 2 shopping centre), with direct access to the North railway station, the Silver Tower is set to represent a new landmark in Brussels. Some 33,000 m² of offices will be spread over 27 floors. The building is designed to respond to the high environmental norms demanded for ‘BREEAM’ certification, and therefore to obtain a ‘Very Good’ or even ‘Excellent’ rating. Silver Tower will contribute to the rehabilitation of this part of Brussels, which will in particular include the future Place Saint-Lazare and boulevard Saint Lazare.

© Image Studio Milo for AG Real Estate

Developer Architects Surface area Status

WATSON & CRICK HILL II Rue Granbonpré 11, 1348 Mont-Saint-Guibert Developer Architect Total qurface area New Building T Delivery Building T

Pylos Jaspers - Eyers Architects 50.000 m2 offices 3.600 m2 + 60 parking spaces Q2 2013

© Jaspers - Eyers Architects

Watson & Crick Hill is located next to exit 9 of the E411 motorway, connecting Brussels – Luxembourg.

Building “T” will be the first of a series of new office developments on this site, totaling 50.000 m² of GLA. The qualitative work environment combines overall efficiency and low occupancy cost and will obtain a “Very Good” Breeam certificate

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© Jaspers - Eyers Architects

REGENT IV

Rue de la Régence 4, 1000 Brussels Architect Surface area Delivery

Jaspers - Eyers Architects 7,700 m² early 2013

Rendering © Art & Build / Cofinimmo

SCIENCE 15-17

Rue Belliard / Rue de la Science 15-17,1000 Brussels Developer Architect Surface area Status:

© A2RC ARCHITECTS

Regent IV is located on a corner of Rue de la Régence, just alongside the ‘Sablon’. This location forms part of the historic centre of Brussels.

The building is in two parts, with a higher building of five floors above ground, two basement levels and a technical floor. There is a smaller adjoining unit whose roof will be laid out as a garden.

Access to the larger, office, building will be from Rue de la Régence.

Regent IV originally dates from the mid-70’s and features some of the recognisable elements, particularly in terms of concrete elements on the façade, of this period. The renovated building will have good insulation and energy indices.

Cofinimmo Art & Build 19,750 m2 (above ground) Building and Environmental Permit introduced Construction scheduled for 2013-2014.

© Archi +

Located in the heart of the European district, Science 15-17 will provide sustainable office quarters with ultra-ecological criteria in terms of thermal energy consumption (maximum E Level 60), which will attract BREEAM ‘Very Good’ certification and create the opportunity to successfully compete in the Exemplary Building Awards 2011 competition organised by the Brussels Environment Agency IBGE. The new building fits into the objectives of the Brussels-Capital Region in terms of renovating and reinvigorating the whole European district.

Those objectives include a greater mixture of functions and a more pronounced ‘citizen-friendly’ urban approach. This approach involves the creation of a newly-built piazza equipped with a landscaped public area, along with an interior garden visible from the street via a vast 5-storey glassed-enclosed atrium.

ARTS LUX

58 Avenue des Arts, 1000 Brussels Developer Architect Surface area Parking Status

AG Real Estate Development Archi + I 18,000 m² 261 spaces undergoing renovation, completion end 2012

Strategically located on the corner of the inner ring road and the Rue du Luxembourg, opposite the rear of the Royal Palace, Arts-Lux is within walking distance of the European Parliament and of the historic centre of Brussels. Arts-Lux also benefits from a metro station right outside the door, with Brussels Central station just 5 minutes away. There are seven upper office levels and three underground levels. The building originally dates from the 1970’s and is being totally renovated by owners AG Real Estate Development.

The renovation will provide greater flexibility to the surface areas. The high level of energy efficiency and insulation has led to BREEAM ‘Very Good’ certification.

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MOrE ON WWW.prO-rEALEStAtE.BE/prOjECtS

BELVIEW

Rue Belliard / Rue Van Maerlant, 1040 Brussels Developer Architect Surface area Delivery

Allfin / BPI A2RC ARHITECTS - Jaspers - Eyers Architects 5,300 m² offices, 29.000 m² residential and retail Q4 2014

© Ateliers Lion / A2RC ARCHITECTS

© A2RC ARCHITECTS

Located on a vacant lot just below the European Parliament and Leopold Park to the south, and the European Commission to the north, Belview will offer a modest amount of office space in as strategic a location as it is possible to have for firms requiring to be close to the nerve-centre of Europe. The whole complex will add to the desire of the city to make the European district a vibrant place for both living and working once again. Sustainable development is a focus.

UP-SITE

Place des Armateur / Quai de Willebroek, 1000 Brussels Developer Architects: Surface area Status

Atenor Group Ateliers Lion / A2RC ARCHITECTS Offices - 30,000 m² under construction, first deliveries 2014

Up-site is well-known for including the tallest residential tower in Belgium, but there is also a significant proportion of offices. In both of these cases, it responds to three trends / policies of the city. Firstly, Up-site represents the centre point of a new mega-district running from the North Station, the focal point of Brussels’ most recent new business district, through Up-site itself, to Tour & Taxis. A new tram line will link all of these elements and continue beyond. Secondly, it is the Region’s policy to create mixed use zones, avoiding the ‘concrete office ghettos’ of the past.

And thirdly, Up-site is right on the canal bank, a long stretch of which is the subject of a great deal of renovation and rehabilitation ‘returning the water back to the city’.

© Jaspers - Eyers Architects

BRUSSELS TOWER 1 Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 1000 Brussels Developer Architect Structural engineer Surface area Status

Immobel Jaspers - Eyers Architects VK engineering 63,400 m² Building permit delivered

This building originally dating from the 70’s - the former TBR Building occupied by the telecom operator Belgacom until 2009 - is located in the North District, Brussels most recent business district and which is home to many corporates and administrations. It is in the form of a Z-shaped glazed tower. With the ‘Silver Tower’ project from AG Real Estate at the nearby place Saint Lazare, this tower represents one of the last possible real estate developments in the North District.

18 Noordkustlaan, 1702 Dilbeek Developers Architects Surface area Parking Delivery

JV Kairos - Attis - Pylos Jaspers - Eyers Architects 30,000 m² 600 spaces Q4 2013

© Jaspers - Eyers Architects

WEST END II

West End, located at the junction of the Brussels Ring and the E40 Brussels-Ostend motorway, is an office building complex. The phase remaining to be built will offer 5 buildings with 2 buildings inter-connected, thus doubling the office area available per floor. The development will obtain at least BREEAM ‘Very Good’ certification, reflecting the excellent overall energy performance, accessibility and reduced occupancy cost.

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OFFICES I MARKET TRENDS I ANTWERP I

Another reasonable year for the Antwerp office market In Belgium, Antwerp can be considered as the second largest office market after Brussels.

It represents around 10% of total Belgian office stock, some 2,355,000 m² including Mechelen. Although take-up was down in 2011, prime rents increased, and the strategy of the ‘Antwerp Headquarters’ task force to rectify shortage of office space.

L

Guibert de Crombrugghe, Managing Director - MRICS de Crombrugghe & Partners

Patrizia Tortolani, Econcomist - MRICS de Crombrugghe & Partners

ooking at the take-up, the volume of almost 117,000 m² (excl. Mechelen) recorded in 2011 is 10% lower than 2010, which was an exceptional year in terms of take up. These figures exclude the ‘off market’ transaction concluded with the Artesis Hogeschool involving the construction of a new student campus in the Spoor park Noord (Italiëlei). The new campus will accommodate the 3500 students of the professional Bachelor-training in business, health care, technology, teacher training and social work.

The Artesis College is investing € 64 million in this project.

The largest transaction in 2011 was the leasing of the Mercator Building on the Singel by Provincie Antwerpen (14,000 m²), which will occupy the building from 2013 for a duration of minimum 3.5 years, while awaiting delivery of its Provincial House. The Mercator Building is currently occupied by Vivium on a temporary basis.

In contrast with the Brussels market, Antwerp revolves around regional activity, with the port as a major driver. Companies working in the secondary and tertiary sectors find it important to locate their regional or provincial headquarters in this area. Nevertheless, it increasingly represents an alternative to the Brussels market. The market is geographically divided into 4 main zones Port Port activity, which has never stopped growing in importance is without any doubt the driver behind the City’s economic activity. Many production companies, followed by distribution companies, have set up over time around the port. This zone represents around 10% of total stock and can be divided into two sub-zones: • Old Port The Old Port district extends parallel to the Schelde, to the north of Antwerp’s Market Square, up to and around the Bonaparte and Willem docks.

A small core of prestigious maritime companies is still to be found in this zone, a result of the port activity which was carried out here before it moved northwards with the modernisation of the Port of Antwerp. This zone benefits from a good road network which enables easy access to East Flanders via the Waasland tunnel, and to the city centre. The district is characterised by a mix of buildings, bringing together the oldest and more modern office buildings.

Although the number of speculative projects delivered was non-existent in 2011, the vacancy level remains high and is currently situated at around 11 %. This is largely structural vacancy in second hand buildings where profound renovation is not being seen.

Development activity will remain very low in the coming years. The only projects to come to the market are Helsmoortel III (5,900 m² on Generaal Lemansstraat) and the Onyx Building (approx.

12.000 m²), which is a very modern office project situated on the Antwerp Singel, near the exits of the ring road and the E19 motorway. The lack of • New Port scheduled new projects should in time translate The New Port has mostly grown up over the past 20 years and is mainly situated along the into a decrease in vacancy.

Noorderlaan. Most buildings in this zone are in Prime rents increased in the Centre from 140 need of renovation. to €145 /m²/y and remained stable in other Companies located in this zone, with activities submarkets. Prime yields have remained stable at often directly connected to port activity, also benefit from access to the Netherlands via the A12 7% (3/6/9 years contracts).

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The business districts of Antwerp

© Jones Lang LaSalle

The business districts on the map are the classification used by Jones Lang La Salle.

The market is geographically divided into 4 main zones: Port, Centre, Singel (Ring zone) and Periphery. With a stock of almost 2,355,000 m² (including Mechelen), Antwerp is the second largest office market in Belgium with 10 % of the total market.

Vacancy currently stands at around 11 %.

Prime rents by zones are as follows : • Port: €105 /m²/an • City centre €145 /m²/year

• Ring: €135 /m²/year ; • Periphery (excl. Mechelen): €100 /m²/year.

(Antwerp-Roosendaal) and A1 (Antwerp-Breda) concentrated around the Central Station where motorways located just a few hundred metres from all of the diamond business (cutters and traders) the Noorderlaan. can be found. Offices here are mostly small in size and their popularity depends on the input City Centre of natural daylight from the north, essential in This area occupies the whole zone contained inside this domain where light plays an overriding the inner ring road and extends to the edge of the role. port zone in the north. Three principal zones can • the south of the city: office zones can be be identified: found mainly around the three main axes: • the zone which extends to the north of the the ‘Leien’ (Amerikalei, Britselei, Frankrijklei Meir: little sought-after due to a lack of modern and Italielei), Mechelsesteenweg and Plantin & buildings and of visibility.

Moretuslei. This part is very popular with large • the Diamond district: this zone is essentially administrations as well as with companies from BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012 43

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OFFICES I MARKET TRENDS I ANTWERP I

to Brussels (E19 / A12), and to a lesser extent to Liège and Eindhoven (A13 / E313 and A21 / E34 respectively). Ease of access half way along the Antwerp-Brussels motorways, together with the proximity of Brussels Airport, constitute the main advantages of this zone. Many business parks have grown up here over recent years, of which some of the most noteworthy are Delta Business Park (approx. 6,000 m²) located at Kontich (Satenrozen, 1) and Naviga Business Park (approx. 11,000 m²) at Zwijndrecht (Nieuweweg 1).It is also along Due to the large proportion of second hand these axes that important industrial and logistics buildings, almost half of vacancy is concentrated parks have been developed. in this area, and projects are very rare.

Antwerp Headquarters’ strategy There are numerous advantages to the Antwerp The ‘Singel’ (or Ring) This zone extends along the city’s ring road and office market: the presence of a port, excellent both sides of the Singel and Binnensingel. Most national and international means of transport new office projects can be found in this area. (particularly to the Netherlands and Germany), The scarcity of modern large-scale buildings (the a well-developed logistics network, and a good average being around 3,500 m²) in the centre balance between different economic sectors has encouraged some companies to look to the (industry, offices and retail).

Ring or Periphery, which have seen the largest development activity over recent years. The Ring Despite its reduced size compared to Brussels, zone offers a number of overriding advantages in and other large European cities, the Antwerp market offers sizable advantages. Since 2008, terms of a location choice: the ‘Antwerp Headquarters’ task force, a public• the presence of large size modern buildings private partnership between the city of Antwerp responding to the requirements of current and the private sector, has been aiming to attract users enterprises and headquarters of international • excellent links via the Ring to the various companies from the Benelux. In a preliminary national and international motorways (Ghent version of the explanatory note of the Antwerp to the west, Breda and Roosendaal to the 2012 guideline, the city estimates that 600,000 to north, Liège to the east and Brussels to the 781,000 m² new offices will be needed over the south) next decade in order to satisfy demand. In this • the proximity of the city centre and its context, the city is willing to follow a new planning infrastructure policy for future offices with the focus on: • avoidance of city centre traffic problems 1. encouraging the development of hubs in • good visibility headquarters zones (which will mainly be The development of the Nieuw-Zuid zone is being concentrated around the port, Central and studied in this part of the city. This 30 ha. zone is Berchem stations and, to the west of the city, the bordered by the Singel, the Ring, the quaysides other side of the Schelde) and the new Justice Building. A whole new 2. limiting office projects of over 1,500 m² in other district is being planned, through a public-private zones partnership, including housing, offices, shops, This note is quite ambitious, but represents the leisure activities and public service infrastructure. first step towards an active and strategic promotion Last year, private partners reached a cooperation to stimulate and strengthen the Antwerp offices agreement with the AG Stadsplanning confirming market. their commitment to finance part of the infrastructure costs. A further 2 to 3 years will be necessary before the project is fully underway, Guibert de Crombrugghe the time to draw up a master plan, followed by an Managing Director - MRICS impact study, and a ground use plan which the city will have to approve.

Patrizia Tortolani Econcomist - MRICS n Periphery The Periphery, which accounts for some 30% of stock, covers all of the communes located around Antwerp, essentially to the south and west of the city, along the 2 motorways leading

the banking sector, most notably because of its central location, offering excellent visibility along the city’s main thoroughfares, because of the well- developed infrastructure (shops, hotels, restaurants etc.) and because of the substantial amount of public car parking facilities. Finally, the public transport network is good, with Central Station connecting to the national and international railway networks.

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© design by Poponcini & Lootens and Jaspers-Eyers & partners

© design by Poponcini & Lootens and Jaspers-Eyers & partners

Artesis Hogeschool new campus, the keystone of the development of Spoor Noord

The Artesis University College Antwerp is part of the Antwerp University Association and is the fourth largest university college in Flanders, with a total of 8600 students and 1500 staff members. The Board of Governors of the University College gave the green light to begin construction of a brand new campus at Spoor Noord, a former industrial site. The plans are for a very avant-garde style of architecture, located on an 11,200 m² site, which offers a gross surface area of 23,240 m² , which will accommodate 3500 students enrolled in the professional bachelor programmes in business studies, health care, technology, teacher training and social work. The new structure will be arranged around a central green patio and will consist of a trapezoid principal building that opens onto the Noorderplaats (Italiëlei - 8 levels), a square building on the Ellermanstraat (4 levels), a long single-storey building on the Noorderlaan, auditoriums that open onto the green inner courtyard, and a ramp on the Ellermanstraat leading to the extensive underground parking garage and bicycle racks. There is a total of 13,050 m² of underground space, spread over 2 levels. The new buildings involve an investment of 64 million Euros.

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OFFICES I MARKET TRENDS I Mechelen I

Mechelen, well located for further growth Mechelen can be considered as a market in its own right, with an estimated office stock of some 450,000 m², mainly spread over 3 zones (the north and south industrial zones and the centre, where most of the buildings can be found along the Ring). This city has expanded greatly over the last decade and is continuing to expand, with ambitious real estate development plans around Mechelen’s railway station

M

echelen is a relatively young market with initially office buildings only present in the city centre. Over the past 20 years more specific office buildings have begun to be located alongside the industrial zones. These can be seen as an alternative to the mobility problems found in Brussels or Antwerp.

Current real estate developments • Zuidpoort The site is opposite the central Mechelen railway station and is 3 km from the E19. The development consists of 4 buildings totaling 22.000m² of office space of high standing, with underground car parks. Two phases of this project have already been delivered. The rest is set to be delivered from 2012.

The offices are part of a renewed and reviving city area with apartments, shops, cafes and restaurants around a central green area. Grontmij and Belgacom are respectively using 4.000m² and 2.000 m² of the offices. A building of 800 m² was sold to Xerius and the Onafhankelijk Ziekenfonds. Around 15,000 m² of high-quality offices are still available for rent in units from 500 m².

• York Tower This will be an 8-storey building, located on the Blarenberglaan, along the E19, with a total surface area of 6,395 m² of which 5,400 m² are in offices.

Its construction will begin once a contract with an occupant has been signed, and is set to last 18 months.

• Uplace Machelen Due to its proximity to Mechelen, it will have a huge impact on the Mechelen market and can thus not be ignored in this context. Uplace represents a very substantial rehabilitation of the Machelen canal zone, with a total surface area of 190,000 m² comprising several activities – public areas, a shopping centre, leisure (bowling, fitness, sports activities, museum, spa, restaurants, bars, etc.), offices, shops and a high quality hotel. Opening is scheduled for 2014.

The project has numerous detractors: InterEnvironnement Bruxelles and its Flemish counterpart, Bond Beter Leefmilieu, denounce the mobility problems set to be created by additional traffic on the ring estimated at 35 000 vehicles a day. The Union of Middle Classes sees in Uplace intolerable competition for the small shops. And finally the Brussels Region is unenthusiastic, seeing Uplace as a competitor of its own shopping mall project at Heysel.

Although the Flemish government has granted the building permit, in September the Brabant Flamand authorities refused to grant an environmental permit for the project. The developers of the project appealed. The Flemish government will pronounce on this subject at the beginning of 2012.

Take-up in line In 2011, take-up amounted to around 15.000 m² on the Mechelen market, which is in line with the ten year average of around 15.000 m² per year. Most of the lettings occurred in the Mechelen Campus, the Zuidpoort or the Stephenson Plaza, a new development of Uplace, located at Blarenberglaan, along the E19 and consisting of 3 office buildings representing around 12,200 m² of total surface area.

One of the largest transactions was the rental by Biocartis of some 3,970 m² in Mechelen Campus.

The most important transaction recorded on the market was the acquisition by Mercator Insurance of the Stephenson Plaza.

Prime rent stands at €135 /m²/year. This is the level of rent recorded in the Stephenson Plaza. Average rents vary between €/80 and 120 m²/year.

Patrizia TORTOLANI Econcomist - MRICS n

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© Euro Immo Star

Master plan for the development of Mechelen Station District

Master Plan for ‘Mechelen Station District’ The construction of the new Mechelen train station, designed by Salvatore Bono, will start in 2015

Key players & Timing

© Euro Immo Star

The Partners involved in the project City of Mechelen, De Lijn, Infrabel, B Holding, Flemish Government Engineering offices Eurostation, Euro Immo Star, Tucrail Project management NMBS-holding, De Lijn, Infrabel, The Mechelen Station District will undergo a complete metamorphosis over the next ten years. The three-phase master plan

City of Mechelen, Flemish Region,

provides firstly for major infrastructure works to make the station more accessible, direct through traffic pass more smoothly

Eurostation, Euro Immo Star, Igemo

around the city and make the surrounding neighbourhoods more attractive. Work starts in April 2012 on the construction

Architect

of an underground car park behind the current station with a capacity of 2,000 cars. A ‘tangent’ road is also being built – a

Salvatore Bono

connecting road with 2 x 2 lanes – that will provide direct access from the Mechelen-Zuid exit of the E19, which is only 1

Building permit

kilometre from the Station District, to the car park. This road, which will run behind the station, should also keep through

4/2011 - Start of work: 4/2012

traffic heading towards Leuven and Heist-op-den-Berg out of the Station District. The major ring road around Mechelen will

Infrastructure works complete

be closed during the first phase of the Station project. In mid-2012 the Diabolo connection linking Mechelen and Brussels

2016

airport in Zaventem in just 8 minutes will be inaugurated.

Station construction complete 2020

The first phase of the Mechelen Station District project is entirely focused on improving mobility and should be completed by

End date of total project

summer 2016. In 2015, construction will start on a new station designed by Salvatore Bono, an Italian living in Belgium who

probably 2021

is strongly committed to sustainability. His design was inspired by the steel arch bridges that are located on the train line in

Total area

the direction of Brussels directly after the existing station. The new platforms will be 280 m long.

+/- 40 hectares

An important part of the master plan for the Station District is the development of the Ragheno plan, located between

Parking capacity

Leuven canal and Leuvense Steenweg. The headquarters of De Lijn and the Flanders Red Cross are already based here. A

2000 spaces

new residential zone is planned along the canal with around 100 homes. The centre of this district – 73,000m² – has been

Investment

earmarked for SME’s and the area close to the station will be an office zone. A total of 146,000 m² ‘of office-based projects

300 million euro

has been registered. In a similar manner to the area around the station in Hasselt, there are several office blocks on the

For more information

drawing board, with Euro Immo Star acting as project developer.

www.mecheleninbeweging.be

BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012 47

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OFFICES I MARKET TRENDS I GHENT I

Many projects in the pipel i With a total stock of 1.36 million m², the Ghent office market represents the second office market in Flanders and the third in Belgium in terms of existing stock. Speculative projects are somewhat rare, keeping the market well-balanced, but the city has ambitious plans for attracting new business segments.

T

Pascal Vanhumbeek, Consultant de Crombrugghe & Partners

he Ghent offi ce market can be divided into four districts: the centre, the northern region, the eastern region and the southern region. The centre represents a share of around 58 % of the stock. The southern district accounts for 25% of which one third is in recent buildings.

The eastern district only represents 12% of the total stock, half of this being accounted for by the new buildings of the ‘Zuiderpoort’. Although the centre represents the major share of the stock, we are observing a transfer from the centre towards the suburbs because supply of new buildings can be found in this area. These locations often enjoy better accessibility, and locations near the exits of the E40 and E17 are the most appreciated.

Demand for central locations, where main occupiers are public administrations, architects offi ces, call centres or ICT fi rms, has decreased over the years. This is the main reason why more and more buildings are being converted into residential units.

Balanced office market Taking into account current planned offi ce projects, the stock is likely to rise by more than 250,000 m² during the next decade. This represents a stock increase of more than 15%. Fear of oversupply, however, should not be exaggerated as only a limited number of developments are speculative and developers prefer to wait for signed lease agreements before starting construction works.

This would appear to be a prudent choice in view of the relatively low level of take up recorded in 2011, around 22,000 m² which is only around a third of the level recorded in 2010 (approximately 70,000m²) and half of the average volume over the past decade, which stands at around 44,000 m². With the exception of the purchase for own occupation of Het Pakhuis (4,200 m² in Ledeberg) by the WitGele Kruis and by AG SOB (4,300 m²) of the ‘Bank van de Arbeid’, other transactions involve areas of under 1.000 m².

With all this, vacancy remains at a low level of around 4.5% proving the health of this balanced offi ce market oriented towards gradual expansion to meet tenant needs.

Prime location Local and regional companies currently dominate the offi ce market, but this is likely to change in the future. For the past 2 years, an increasing number of companies from the Brussels region or from abroad have been choosing Ghent for their new headquarters. One of the reasons can be found in the lower level of traffi c congestion.

But the city is also investing huge amounts in new projects and in marketing campaigns to attract more regional and national companies.

With one of its biggest projects (‘The Loop’) with a potential development of 552,500 m² of which 155,000 m² offi ces) the City is even focusing on international companies. The strengths of Ghent are the presence of the university, the know-how industry and the port.

The marketing plan of the city defi nes four headquarter zones : • The redevelopment of the area around Ghent St. Peter’s railway station where a total development of 82,000 m² is planned along the Fabiolalaan. The Flemish authorities decided in September 2010 to construct a new Flemish Administrative Centre in this zone with an area of 36,000m². They intend to put the offi ce building into use at the beginning of 2014.

• ‘The Loop’ -155,000 m² of offi ce space including the MG Tower- where the Flemish authorities decided in September 2010, to construct a new offi ce building (7,500 m²) for the Flemish Environmental Agency (VMM), to be used as a centralised location for the fi eld organisations of the VMM. The construction of the MG Tower, a project of the de Paepe Group situated at the St-DenijsWestrem exit of the E40, alongside The Loop, is in the meantime well advanced. This 24 fl oor high offi ce tower will have a surface area of 23,500 m² of offi ce space and will bring together the activities of KBC which are currently spread over several buildings in and around Ghent. The construction works started in March 2010 and are scheduled to be fi nished by the middle of this year.

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el ine but sluggish take-up • The ‘Artevelde’ stadium, located at the intersection of the E17 and E40 motorways and the R4 ring road. This is a multifunctional modern project consisting of the following elements: - a 20,000-seater, football stadium, with business seats, skyboxes, restaurants and other catering facilities, 14,000 m² of office space and 9,000 m² of retail space.

- two ten-floor buildings with 28,000 m² of additional office space, with direct access to underground parking, - 12,000 m² of retail space, to be occupied by a major store, - a 150 room, three star residential unit for longer stays, - 1,500 underground parking spaces.

Construction works on this multifunctional project started years ago but due to various problems completion of the stadium won’t be before mid-2012.

Relatively lower rates than elsewhere Top rents vary around €145 /m²/year and medium rents around €110/m²/y. Up to now, low levels of rents (lower than in some other Flemish cities), lead to very restricted negotiation margins for lessors and developers. Future developments continue to be attractive for main users.

Pascal VANHUMBEEK Consultant n

With mobility and accessibility becoming key criteria for sustainable cities, such as Brussels, Mechelen, Bruges and others, Ghent is redeveloping the area around Ghent Saint Peter’s railway station with 82,000 m² of office space planned along the Fabiolalaan. (‘Project Sofa’). The Flemish authorities decided in September 2010 to construct a new Flemish Administrative Centre (VAC) in this zone with an area of 36,000m².

The Poponcini & Lootens architectural bureau has been appointed to draw up the outline of the plan for this zone.

doc www.projectsofa.be

• The Oude Dokken. The town of Ghent in collaboration with AG SOB (a city development

firm) intends to renew the complete area around the Oude Dokken in order to create 1,300 to 1,500 new housing units, leisure and green areas, office buildings (around 18,000 m²), and public amenities such as schools, a sports hall and a public library. The project will last approximately 10 to 15 years.

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OFFICES I MARKET TRENDS I LIÈGE I

Projects waiting in the wi n With its office stock of ± 470,000 m², Liège is the largest city in the Walloon region. It has been suffering from a low level of new quality office space, and therefore of take-up, which at around 11,000 m² in 2011 is barely more than half of the ten year average. Companies have been finding alternative solutions, but help now seems to be on the way.

A

round 70% of the office stock is located downtown, mainly along large avenues, such as Boulevard de la Sauvenière and Boulevard d’Avroy. The main occupiers are public administrations and regional and provincial governments (approx. 40 %), followed by institutions (banks and insurance companies) (approx. 20 %).

On the periphery, the supply of suitable buildings is virtually non-existent and is concentrated in offices parks including Zénobe Gramme and the Sart Tilman science park.

Patrizia Tortolani, Econcomist - MRICS de Crombrugghe & Partners

Low level of take-up Approximately 40 % of the stock involves secondhand buildings. The demand for offices of good quality is substantial in Liege but there is a serious lack of new developments to meet the needs of current occupiers. Due to a lack of quality buildings, some firms have no other choice than to install in residential premises transformed into offices.

According to a study carried out by DataQuest (Research department of Immoquest), some 25.000 m² of offices are located in host properties on the left bank of the Meuse (some 7.5% of the stock in this area) with as a consequence high operating costs, energy loss, and unsuitable premises with a lack of parking facilities.

This lack of supply explains the low level of take-up recorded in 2011 in Liège, some 11,000 m², which is well below the average of the last 10 years (around 19,000 m²). With the exception of 3 deals out of the 14, transactions involved surface areas of below 1,000 m².

Current real estate developments Several developments are underway to resolve the imbalance between supply and demand.

• Rue du plan incliné. In March 2011, the SNCBHolding officially presented its project for an office building with an underground parking facility along railroads at the rue du Plan Incliné in the Guillemins district, representing an overall length of some 460 m. On its own land (approx. 20,000 m²), the SNCBHolding will demolish the former ABX warehouse and the current car park and is scheduling the construction of a building representing a total gross area of 65,500 m² (net offices area = 48,000 m²) with 1,240 parking spaces. A study of the impact on the environment, preliminary to the lodging of a building permit, is obligatory. Timing still remains uncertain.

• Val Benoît site was previously a university campus of 8 ha now dedicated to technologies and economic activities. The real estate project aims

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wi ngs to satisfy demand mainly at reconverting existing buildings, completed by new constructions. Surfaces will so be reserved for economic activity space (25,000 to 30,000 m²).

But the site will also accommodate public utilities (17,000 to 21,000 m²) (including premises already occupied by Forem) as well as some 100 residential units (11,000 to 20,000 m²) and office space (7,000 to 20,000 m²).

• Espace Horizon, a development located at the corner of Rue du Fourneau and Boulevard de l’Automobile, will offer 20,000 m² of office space, 5,000 m² of retail space and 15,000 m² destined for apartments, with 750 underground parking spaces.

The construction should begin early this year.

• Oh! Offices House, located at the Rue Visé-Voie at Rocourt, has already received its building permit and will extend to 3,600 m² of ultra-modern offices.

Construction will not be commenced before the project finds a tenant.

(6,000 m2, complex of blocks of apartments, shops and offices (future headquarters of Eriges) and Neocittà II (20,000 m2, economic, commercial and residential space), along with the 17 hectare ‘LD’ business park. The whole project will take several years. A new multi-modal public transport station is also part of the plan.

Conclusion The creation of new office space in Liège is on-going but it will take several years before all developments come onto the market and before supply meets demand from current occupiers.

Despite the numerous assets of the city (new TGV station, Liège Airport, central location and good motorway accessibility), average rents in Liege remain very reasonable compared with Brussels and vary between €100 /m²/year and €130/m²/year for new and prime space and between €80 and 95/m²/ year for second-hand buildings.

Prime rents decreased from €135 in 2010 to €130/ m²/y last year. This is due to the lack of new medium to large scale developments. As long as prime assets remain undelivered, this rental value decline could continue.

Seraing Master Plan On the southern outskirts of Liège, the town of Seraing has established a master-plan covering an area of 800 hectares and involving a total renewal of the former industrial backbone of the town (CMI Cockerill, ArcelorMittal) including the creation of a leisure centre, green areas, housing, retail, a new administrative centre and the largest themed commercial centre in Europe.

Patrizia Tortolani Econcomist - MRICS n

doc www.projectsofa.be

© Jaspers - Eyers Architects

In terms of office space, this large scale project will cover 19,000 m² (12 buildings) in the ‘Cristal Park’ development, various office buildings in Neocittà I

The local authorities plan to create around 100,000 m² of new office space around the Guillemins Station (including the reconstruction of the future Finance Tower representing an area of 52,700 m² at rue du Paradis). This will also create a new dynamic for the market and help remedy the lack of high quality office space.

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RETAIL I Market Trends I

An interesting market wi t Brussels and Antwerp continue to dominate the shopping landscape in Belgium, a landscape characterised by a high level of high street activity, and a low level of shopping centres compared to neighbouring markets. We take a look at the evolution of the market and its attraction for foreign retailers with Patrick Tacq, an industry expert from CBRE, and Walter Goossens, who sets out some of the figures produced by Jones Lang LaSalle. Retail experts Cushman & Wakefield also point out some trends in terms of international retailers.

M

ost retailers appear to have continuing confidence in the Belgian retail scene, with predicted increases in turnover over the coming year widespread.

Transaction activity in high streets in Belgium, however, has been somewhat moderated in 2011 for the simple reason that there is very little prime space available, as Walter Goossens, head of retail at advisors Jones Lang LaSalle, points out. On top of this, the fee being asked for ‘key money’ in these prime locations when they do become available, is rising for the same reason. Despite this, the total number of transactions across all types of retail outlet increased by 21% in 2011 compared to 2010, although this is mainly due to retail warehousing.

Taking into account this lack of prime high street availability, and the low level of new developments (with the exception of certain high profile cases)

Jones Lang LaSalle expects to see continued pressure on the former, pressure which has not yet led to any significant increase in prime rents in 2011.

Where those transactions which did take place in 2012 are concerned, Cushman & Wakefield figures show that H&M and Hema top the list of most active retailers, both high profile foreign brands. And on the same theme, newcomers to Belgium this year, C&W point out, include Forever 21, Abercrombie & Fitch, Primark and Disney… The words of Patrick Tacq (CBRE) in this article, thus take on a high degree of significance.

Alongside the ‘high street hit list’, we include the figures for shopping centres. It can be seen that these closely reflect the position where high streets are concerned, with Belgium’s two most important cities far outstripping the rest.

Tim HARRUP n

Top ten prime high street rents City Street

Antwerp Meir Brussels Rue Neuve

Goulot Louise Gent Veldstraat Bruges Steenstraat Liège Vinâve d’Ile Hasselt Hoogstraat Namur Rue de l’Ange/Fer Ostend Kapellestraat Louvain Diestsestraat Knokke Lippenslaan/Kustlaan

2010 prime €/m2/year

2011 prime €/m2/year

1,700 1,650 1,700 1,300 1,100 1,100 1,100 950 800 700 700

1,800 1,800 1,700 1,500 1,100 1,100 1,100 950 800 800 700

Top ten prime shopping centre rents City

Brussels Antwerp Brussels St.-Niklaas Louvain-la-Neuve Brussels

Liège Kortrijk Mons Charleroi

Street

2011 prime €/m2/year

Woluwe Wijnegem City 2 Waasland L’esplanade Westland Belle-Ile K in Kortrijk Les Grands Prés Ville 2

1,600 1,600 1,400 950 850 850 800 750 700 600

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Le Toison d’Or

© UNStudio, Jaspers - Eyers Architects

wi th little prime availability

Evolution of the shopping scene in Brussels Interview with Patrick Tacq, head of the retail department at real estate advisors CBRE What are the big international retailers looking for in Belgium?

“They are looking for what they can’t find in their home markets, which is continued expansion, continued growth and continued higher turnovers. What we have seen over the past two years is a growing number of Anglo-Saxon retailers looking at Belgium, although not only at Belgium, but around Europe. I am talking about Forever 21, Abercrombie & Fitch for example, and others from England. Top Shop is looking at Belgium and Marks & Spencer has started to come back to Europe: they have already signed on the Champs Elysées and we expect they will head back to Belgium again too. One thing is clear and positive – retailers tend to anticipate falling sales in a recession, and although we can understand this type of negative anticipation, there is nothing yet to substantiate this. It is important to realise that sales have not yet been hit by the recession in Belgium.”

What do you think about the emergence of the uptown district of Brussels as possibly replacing the Rue Neuve as the top shopping destination in the capital?

“I don’t think of it as replacing the Rue Neuve, but I do believe that a city as large and important as Brussels can accommodate two key shopping destinations. Within this context the Rue Neuve is a classical high street for mass market shopping. But there is room for a high density shopping street which can perhaps be a little more upmarket and this would Patrick Tacq, Head of Retail, CBRE clearly be the uptown area – maybe the Toison d’Or or maybe the Chausée d’Ixelles: I think there is a role for each of these, and I think the Chaussée d’Ixelles could very well be the street which would be a counterpart for the Rue Neuve in the uptown area. But this depends on a number of improvements – we would obviously have to get rid of the traffic first and find better parking facilities than exist now. For its part the Toison d’Or, together with the Boulevard de Waterloo on the other side of the inner ring road, could then be the ‘Champs Elysées’ of Brussels – it is already the most Parisian of Brussels shopping streets. For certain brands which want exposure in Belgium but which may consider only one shop in all of Belgium, this is an ideal location. One thing we have all been waiting for a very long time is the building of the Prowinko project on what has been an empty piece of land for much too long. This situation has a very negative impact on the whole of the Toison d’Or. The potential of this district is clearly demonstrated by some of the retailers we at CBRE have helped to bring in to the shopping galleries on the street: Fnac, Desigual and AS Adventure for its first large city centre store. And people are happy on the Toison d’Or.” There has been talk of covering over the traffic route which runs between the two streets – Toison d’Or and Boulevard de Waterloo – you are presumably in favour of this?

“I wouldn’t be against covering over this ‘inner ring’ but not in order to create new sites for building shops. If it is order to make it easier for pedestrians and shoppers to get from one side to the other, then I am definitely in favour – this needs to be done and should be done. The through traffic has no positive effect on shopping in this district.”

What is the impact on investment of the growing requirement for ‘green’ buildings in the retail domain?

‘This will inevitably have a growing effect, but this is more relevant to the end investor than anyone else in the chain. If you look at the most recent shopping centres to be built, for example, such as Médiacité in Liège, which was the first to obtain BREEAM certification, there are even plug-in points for electric cars, and this shows the way forward. One of the realities, of course, is that in high streets at least, most of the buildings have been there for a long time, though…”

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Retail I REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT VISION I

Uplace, green light for 19 0 Uplace Machelen is an ambitious project next to the Vilvoorde viaduct, on the brownfield site of the former Renault factory, in the long neglected canal zone of Machelen. The project, which combines shopping, work, entertainment and public space, has finally been given the green light following a laborious planning process. The project developer and the government are committed to completing all sub-projects by mid- 2015.

U

Lorin Parys, Chief Operating Officer at Uplace property group

place Machelen promises to be anything but a traditional shopping centre, even if shopping is one of the core attractions of the whole project. “Everything revolves around the experience” emphasises Lorin Parys, Chief Operating Officer of Uplace, an international lifestyle property group. “We are creating a one-stop destination experience where working, shopping and relaxing blend together seamlessly. It will be a unique feature in Belgium, even abroad, because the mix of the offering is so exceptional. It will be a city within the city, in which shopping, working and entertainment are no longer built in isolation from each other but woven together in a single space”.

There is certainly variety. The site will accommodate a theatre/ concert hall with over 3,000 seats. A 180-room hotel is also being built, connecting to a spa and wellness centre, which will feature two swimming pools. A cinema with eight screens will further enrich the entertainment offering, as well as a ‘family zone’ about which little information has been communicated to date but with ‘Legoland’ being cited as an example.

The ‘working’ district consists of an office block with 18,000m² of usable space, which will jut out above the Vilvoorde viaduct.

There will be 4 further smaller office buildings: 2 in Woluwelaan and 2 in Nieuwbrugstraat.

Accessibility Easy access to the site is essential. “We have been able to come to good agreements with all parties – including the Flemish Government, De Lijn and the local authorities in Machelen” assures Lorin Parys. “These relate to both multimodal access and to a commitment to complete the infrastructure and transport work alongside project construction”. An entrance/exit is planned from the ring road and the plan is to incorporate no less than 6,000 parking spaces on the site.

Attraction Uplace is acting as project developer, but will also be responsible for the rental. “We have already received letters of interest for 160% of the available space in the retail and leisure zones” reports Lorin Parys with justifiable pride. “And there is also strong interest in the offices despite the high level of empty office space on the Brussels periphery. These are often at B and C quality levels, while we can point to strong advantages such as exemplary eco-performance, excellent access, ample parking facilities that are no longer being approved elsewhere and visibility over the viaduct”. Lorin Parys notes that a lot of interest in the offices comes from large groups, for whom Uplace fits in perfectly with their strategy in the ‘war for talent’.

Uplace aims to be a one-stop destination experience where working, shopping and relaxing blend together seamlessly Lorin Parys concludes: “All the decisions that need to be made have been made, the budget is a fact and procurement has started”. Everything points to the long neglected canal zone in Machelen soon being resurrected as a forward-looking hotspot.

Eduard Coddé n

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9 0,000m² of experiences from left to right Uplace-shopping-gallery Uplace overview

Uplace_entrance

Uplace in figures Developer Uplace Architects Jaspers - Eyers Architects Building permit

Protectionist reactions

28/10/2011 Start of construction

Despite the fact that the building permit has been granted by Philippe Muyters, the Flemish planning minister, the Uplace

2013

mega-project still has the protectionists reaching for their armour. At the beginning of February Groen, the Flemish ecology

End date

party, launched an on-line petition ‘Uplace is not my place’ in opposition to the project, arguing that the projected eight

mid-2015

million visitors per year would generate even more traffic congestion. The communes neighbouring Machelen have

Total area

concerns not just in terms of mobility but particularly for the independent shops of the region for which Uplace represents

190,000m²

a threat. These are the reasons why the communes of Vilvorde, Louvain and Grimbergen have appealed to the Council

Parking capacity

of State. The Brussels Region, which may also feel the effects of the project, and which is also behind the competing

6,000 spaces

Neo project on the Heyzel plateau, had, through its Minister-President Charles Picqué, refused to contest this project in

Public transport

November, in order not to transform a planning/development problem into a communal dispute. In a latest twist, there are

train, tram and bus

fears that the 94 m high tower could interface with aircraft radar at nearby Brussels Airport. The Flemish government is set

For more information

to give its decision in mid-March on the environmental permit for Uplace.

www.uplace.eu

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JUST UNDER THE SKY - Brussels Part of the Brussels canalside redevelopment project Developer Architect Total surface area Start construction Opening

Equilis Art & Build 49,000 m² end 2012 2014

© Art&Build Quickit for Equilis

© Art&Build Quickit for Equilis

RETAIL I SHOPPING CENTER I PROJECTS I

© Bernaerts Group

The ‘Just under the sky’ retail and leisure center project is located alongside the canal to the north west of Brussels centre, near the Van Praet bridge, close to two other major urban redevelopment sites, Tour & Taxis and Neo-site. and not far from the future new European school. Developed on the 4 hectares former industrial site of Godin factory, it is part of the entire ‘Canalside’ redevelopment project. This 6-building, 2-level complex gets its name ‘Just under the sky’ from the lightweight transparent roofing which is a main feature. Some 40,000 m² of retail spaces are scheduled by developer Equilis along with 1,650 parking spaces. ‘Just Under the Sky’ also has a focus on leisure, and is expected to feature sports and well-being activities. More information: www.just-under-the-sky.be

EUROPEAN MARKET CITY A12 BRUSSELS-ANTWERP A B2B shopping centre Developer: Lead architect Ground area Total surface area Opening

Bernaerts Group Leontien Vuijk 48 hectares 200,000 m² Phase 1 - September 2012

European Market City is not a classic retail centre: in the same manner as the Brussels ‘Trade Mart centre’, it is a meeting place bringing together manufacturers, distributors and retailers within a single location mid-way between Brussels and Antwerp. It will be both a platform for exchanging ideas and for actually trading. Alongside the merchandise of all types is set to be a range of services including food and drinks, car and truck rental, travel agency, business centre, fitness centre… The total site area is 48 hectares and there will be more than 2,500 parking spaces. The frontage of around 400 metres guarantees excellent visibility on this major route (A12) linking Brussels and Antwerp. Earthworks and foundation works for the first phase of 32,000 m² are starting at the beginning of 2012, with construction works to follow immediately.

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Image © Wilhelm & Co

Image © Wilhelm & Co

MORE ON WWW.PRO-REALESTATE.BE/PROJECTS

SITE BOCH - LA LOUVIÈRE Transforming a brownfield site to a mixed urban retail-leisure-residential area Developer: Architects: Site area: Retail & leisure: Residential: Parking: Opening

Wilhelm & Co. Ron Arad 15 ha.

39,000 m² 60,000 m² (600 apartments) 1,500 spaces 2013/2014

© DDS-Partners

Following the major city centre renewal programmes completed at Louvain-la-Neuve and Liège, Wilhelm & Co. is now embarking on a similar project for the town of La Louvière, located some 40 km to the south of Brussels. On the former Boch porcelain site, this project intends to rebuild the complete town centre through the creation of over 30,000 m² of retail space, some 60,000 m² of residential accommodation, and other functions including a cinema complex, a museum (constructed by the public authorities) and offices. A substantial amount of green space has been scheduled, and there will be car parking for 1,500 cars. The shopping centre will have direct pedestrian access to the town centre and the new railway station The Wilhelm & Co. / Ron Arad partnership has worked together to produce the successful ‘Médiacité’ project in Liège; the same approach is being used for Boch site.

www.pro-realestate.be/projects Find more retail estate projects and updated information about these projects on www.pro-realestate.be/projects.

You can also find this information by instigating a search using the name of the project in the website homepage search window

RIVE GAUCHE - CHARLEROI Finally on track Developer Architect Retail surface area Total surface area Status Opening

Saint-Lambert Promotion DDS & Partners 31,500 m² 111,000 m² permits granted 2014/2015

The ‘Rive Gauche’ project in the centre of Charleroi is designed to provide the city with new shopping facilities and to contribute to the rehabilitation of the ‘lower town’ area. It has been the subject of much debate for some years. The permit process was unlocked in the autumn of last year, however, and this project is now set to become a reality. Both the planning and the environmental permits were granted in November 2011. Alongside the originally scheduled 31,500 m² shopping centre will be residential accommodation, offices, and car parking. The planning permit sets conditions. There is to be only one access zone, rather than the two originally planned by developers Saint-Lambert Promotion. And the number of parking spaces will be limited to 650, whereas the developer wanted more. Rive Gauche represents a bold design which redefines this district of the lower town from top to bottom, including its immediate surroundings comprising the Place Buisset along with the Triangle/Parking Moulin. Along with the development of Rive Gauche itself, the project is set to be a trigger for further real estate development within the ten years that follow the start of construction. New buildings and renovation projects will add a further mix of functions to this district.

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LOGISTIC & SEMI-INDUSTRIAL I MARKET TRENDS I

An exceptional year for logistics The semi-industrial market in Belgium – both in the logistics segment and the remainder of semi-industrial activity – had a very good year in 2011. Not just compared to 2010, but also in comparison with the 5 year average. Taking the two together, their 2011 take-up of 1.528 million square metres is around 170,000 m² up on this average. We take a closer look at the logistics segment.

A

Walter Goossens, Director and Head of Industrial & Retail Leasing, Jones Lang LaSalle

t real estate advisors Jones Lang LaSalle, Walter Goossens is Head of Industrial. There are few people better placed to comment on the market, and his words make an ideal way to assess the performance in 2011: “It is remarkable to observe that despite the fragile economic context and the Euro crisis, logistics take-up achieved a new record during 2011”.

This increase was no less than 233% compared to the previous year, and around 3.4% up on the five year average (757.000 m2). Rather than a simple expansion of activities, Jones Lang LaSalle puts this increase down to a centralisation of activities and optimisation of logistics infrastructures. In terms of timing, the first half of the year was very strong, following a fairly disastrous 2010, and by the end of the first quarter take-up had almost reached the same level as the previous year.

Golden triangle Activity continues to be concentrated around the three main cities of Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent, which is how the ‘Golden Triangle’ gets its name.

The limited size of Belgium means, of course, that this is not a vast area. No more than 50 km separates any of these three cities from each of the other two.

The Brussels-Antwerp axis – benefiting from two motorway connections (E19 and A12) and with

the benefit of another major market in between (Mechelen) – accounted for a little over half of all logistics take-up in 2011, and when the AntwerpGhent segment is added in, the figure rises to 510,000 m² out of the total of 783,000 m², almost two thirds.

The third main logistics axis is known as the ‘E313’ and this benefits from being the main motorway from Antwerp – Europe’s second port after Rotterdam – to the heart of Europe and the Ruhr Valley in particular.

Major transactions As is the case with any real estate sub-market, the Belgian logistics market was able to call on a number of major transactions during 2011 to help boost its figures. However, while the top three transactions added together accounted for around 188,000 m² (66,000 m² on the former Opel Site in Antwerp by Schelde-Natie, 65,000 m² in Tessenderloo by Stanley Black & Decker and 50,000 m² on the Zwaaidok in Mechelen Zuid by Colim) a further six transactions of note were the only others to exceed 20,000 m².

These accounted for a similar total surface area (a fraction over 200,000 m²), and the tenth largest, at just under 20,000m², has to be added before half of the market is accounted for. This leaves a healthy figure approaching 400,000 m² to be taken care of by a large number of smaller transactions.

Prime rents for logistics space have been stable close

The renting by Nike Europe of 46.000 m2 of logistic spaces in Herentals, along the E313 is one of the major transactions of 2011.

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to € 50/m²/year. Vacancy levels in logistics space are currently estimated to be under 2%, and when taken in conjunction with the low level of speculative developments set to come onto the market over the next few years, Jones Lang LaSalle, believes that large scale demand will be difficult to satisfy. As is the case

for office property, developers are showing caution and preferring to build projects for the specific use of clients placing firm orders for them, rather than building speculatively.

Tim HARRUP ■

© Jones Lang LaSalle

© Jones Lang LaSalle

Logistics market trends

Logistics activities continue to be concentrated around the three main

With a global take-up of 783,000 m2 of logistic spaces in 2011, the

cities of Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent, known as the ‘Golden Triangle’.

take-up is 3.4% up on the five year average and up with no less

This zone account for almost two thirds of the total take-up in 2011

than 233% compared to the very weak 2010 market take-up.

Relocation Services & International Moving

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60 BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2011

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INVESTMENT, PROPERTY & BUILDINGS MANAGEMENT

T

he accepted truth about the three major criteria required to give a property its value in the past was that they were ‘location, location and location’. For investors and others involved in the ‘theoretical’ side of operating a building, this is now far from true. Location does occupy one of the three podium places, but not in the same way that it did. A good location used to mean being slap bang in the middle of the CBD. Now it means being easily accessible, preferably near to a railway station and a bus/tram/ metro stop, and if possible with a car-sharing point just outside… Next on the podium comes ‘green’, a concept which now stretches backwards from merely ‘low energy’ to ‘ecological construction methods and materials’ and forwards to ‘transformable to other uses and/or recyclable when demolished’ (a very long time in the future…). Add to this the rationality demanded by the ‘New Way of Working’, and ‘location, location, location’, seems like a very old idea. In this section and in our online libraries, we investigate some of these themes with experts in the field.

SUMMARY 62 65 68 70

Relocation I Stay or move - a key decision Renewable energy I Wind turbines in Brussels ?

Sustainability I Green certification for buildings - cities taking the lead New World of Work I A saving of 50,000 m² from a major workspace reorganisation

Other articles about real estate investment, property and buildings management published the ‘Belgium Real Estate Showcase’ previous edition, or in the Profacility magazine, can be consulted on www.pro-realestate.be/library (PRE) or www.profacility.be/biblio (PFY). The articles can be downloaded in PDF format either in French, Dutch or English. All of them are classified by publishing date. You can also find an article by instigating a search using the title of this article in the website homepage search window.

Law I The energy performance of new constructions and public buildings (PFY 10/10/2011) New World of Work I Getronics: change management as a challenge (PFY 12/09/2011) Sustainability I Eco-efficiency through the ‘Cradle to Cradle’ principle (PFY 22/08/2011) Financing I Logistics real estate financing, freeing up cash. (PRE 08/06/2011) Relocation I GDF Suez, Brussels: relocation and regrouping (PFY 23/05/2011) Real estate development I Converting obsolete offices to housing (PRE 16/05/2011) Environmental certification I Not a hype, a request from investors (PRE 02/05/2011) Investment I From brownfields … to green (PRE 10/04/2011) Sustainability I Renewable energy production: creative financial mechanisms (PFY 03/03/2011) Property management I Organising preventive and remedial maintenance in buildings (PFY 21/02/2011) Public-private partnership I One key concept: effective cooperation (PFY 06/12/2010)

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Property & FACILITY ManagEment I occupier strategy I

Stay or move - a key de c In the past, when a company or other organisation decided to move offices, it was generally for a very concrete reason, such as the existing building having become too old or too small… Now, however, there is much more to this decision, and not only cost.

T

Vincent Gérin, CEO of Anixton identifies the top three criteria when the ‘stay or move’ question is first asked : cost and location first and second, but with the environmental factor now clearly on the podium too.

Isabelle Vandeur. Partner - Head of Global Corporate Service at CBRE emphasizes that for large corporates, the consolidation of multiple office locations into one is currently a popular approach

o find out how this new concept works in practice, we first asked Vincent Gérin, CEO of Brussels-based advisory company Anixton, which has made a speciality out of ‘Stay or Move’. Firstly, he explained under what circumstances a company might ask itself the question of whether it should stay in its current building or move. Vincent Gérin explained that the question generally becomes relevant at a lease break or end, when an owner may wish to increase the rent. So in this context, stay, move or renegotiate terms is initially a matter of cost.

Alongside this, other factors may also lead to the question being asked: the building may no longer meet modern requirements in terms of occupancy comfort, it may have become too small – or too big – or the company may wish to become more environmentally friendly and move to a ‘greener’ building. In this last case, the trend is to have offices which are very low consumers of energy, and this of course also has a positive financial impact. Then there is the question of optimal architecture – some buildings which offer 5,000 sqm of gross space may only contain a much lower amount of truly usable space (from 3.000 sqm for a “bad” building to 4,500 sqm for a “good” building) – which equates to paying a certain amount of rent for nothing.

Image Another factor which companies may have to take into account is the image their building gives them. In certain sectors this is important, especially if the location of the existing building has become old-fashioned and does not reflect what the company wants to say about itself. The question is therefore clearly strategic, as Vincent Gérin explains: “In these cases top management gets involved because the directors understand that the choice of building is more and more strategic, even if cost had been the initial driver”.

In many cases, therefore, the Marketing Director will be looking for a certain image, the Human Resources Director may be arguing for a particular type of layout. There is also the question of access, and more and more often this includes the mobility aspect. Offices located close to good public transport facilities are not just a matter of political policy (in the case of Brussels) but a

matter of employee comfort and of the company’s environmental footprint. The top three criteria when the ‘stay or move’ question is first asked, are cost and location first and second, but with the environmental factor now clearly on the podium too. This is not just a matter of projecting the right image, but really does ensure that a company can meet its own environmental objectives.

Analysis When Anixton is mandated with the question of helping a client to decide whether to stay or move, it is able to analyse the situation with a high degree of objectivity, because it does not engage in any ‘agency’ activities. Whether the client eventually decides to stay or move therefore has no impact on Anixton’s revenues. This objectivity involves establishing a score-card which includes all of the client’s main criteria. The client and Anixton together decide on the weighting to be given to each of the criteria already mentioned (and others). “What we often find”, explains Vincent Gérin, “is that at the beginning a company may state that cost reduction is its principal objective, perhaps accounting for 50% of the weighting. But as the process unfolds, the client begins to realise that the financial side in fact only represents 40% or even less of its objectives. Because a well laidout building, well-located and equipped can enable the personnel to be more motivated and as a result more productive. This in itself leads to a financial gain, and not just by going down the ‘cost reduction’ route”. Attracting and retaining the best talent is a major challenge for companies these days.

One of the outcomes of the analysis process may be that the occupant is advised to stay in its current building, but to go to the owner and request a refurbishment of the space, an upgrade, a rental adjustment… this situation has arisen several times in the case of Anixton.

Consolidation For a second opinion on this emerging ‘stay or move’ notion, we also asked real estate advisors CBRE for their views. Isabelle Vandeur. Partner Head of Global Corporate Services also confirmed that companies are looking at this area, and she told us: “In our experience around 40% of

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e cision Audit ‘stay or Move’ - Key ratios A comparison of Three key indicators enables a company to compare the current rental situation with : • its sector of activity – in the example, the legal services sector • the average in Brussels, all sectors taken together • good examples considered to be references for the real estate market SURFACE AREA

OCP

OFFICES

44

15.036

58/42

Legal Services Sector

€/FTE

m2/FTE 50%

Brussels (all business districts)

83%

12.500

22

€/FTE

m2/FTE 41%

Best Practices

35/65 IO/SO

60%

18

9.000

25/75

m gross

per year

in %

m2/FTE

€/FTE

2

FTE: Full Time Equivalent OCP: Occupancy Cost per Person

IO/SO

IO: Individual offices SO: Shared offices

companies that are envisioning a move to another building will eventually renegotiate their existing lease after having examined all parameters. Against the backdrop of the volatile economy and the high degree of uncertainty, cost-containment remains a key business driver for most corporates….

Although the economic recovery remains very fragile, many occupiers – particularly the early movers who cut costs decisively in the initial stages of the downturn – now have stronger balance sheets and are looking to make strategic decisions”.

Isabelle Vandeur went on to say that in terms of real estate, the top cost-reduction initiatives are reductions in space occupied, renegotiation of the financial terms of the lease and the renegotiation of the length of the lease. When the ‘quick win’ savings have been implemented and/or exhausted it becomes harder to identify further cost-cutting measures that do not jeopardize business stability.

And returning to the question of strategy, Isabelle Vandeur said: “More positively, we can detect a renewed focus on strategic planning for the future.

For larger corporates, the consolidation of multiple office locations into one is a popular approach”.

The green question also plays a role in all of this,

IO/SO

We thank Anixton for providing us with this benchmark.

For more detailed information see www.stayormove.com

and the experience of CBRE is that here has been a perception that the importance of sustainability issues had diminished or disappeared as a result of the recession. Isabelle Vandeur disagrees with this perception: “This is not the case as in my opinion more than half of our occupier clients would be prepared to go for a green building. But the green agenda needs to find its place in the spectrum of the overall building-selection factors. And we might not forget that there is still a shortage of green buildings, partly because so little has been built recently”.

Perhaps the greatest evolution in all of this is that in the past the decision would simply ‘whether to move’. ‘Staying’ would not considered as constituting any sort of decision at all, but now, this too has become a positive, strategic question which merits the same professional attention as the decision to move.

taking all options into consideration A good example of this is a major international train operator which realised that its existing rental level, negotiated at a time when the real estate market was in good health, was expensive in the current ‘crisis’ market. But the location was very good, and the decision was taken to stay, but provided that the rent was adjusted, which Anixton was able to negotiate. Vincent Gérin explains ‘Sometimes, a client comes to us and says that they want to stay in their building, they are sure of that, but they need better terms. However, it sometimes happens that because we nevertheless believe it is our duty to show them all the options, as our mission evolves, they decide it may be better to move after all!

‘Once again, the client takes all of the strategic aspects into account and comes to a decision totally the oppo-

Tim HARRUP ■

site of what they originally intended.’

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Let’s talk real estate 22, 23 & 24 May 2012 Tour & Taxis Brussels

Your view

on the real estate market

Registration: www.realty-brussels.com Use this promocode and get â‚Ź 30 discount: 1200 180 022 055

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Property & Building ManagEment I RENEWABLE ENERGY I

Wind turbines in Brussels?

Cityscapes are quite the opposite of the vast open spaces sought for locating giant wind turbine masts. And yet the wind which blows through a city, or is caused by the buildings themselves, can also be put to use. But not in the same way as in the countryside. Technical evolution is necessary, along with the notion of ‘building integrated’. A European study into urban wind turbines is underway, and Brussels is part of it.

I

Where the potential power to be generated is concerned, the figures are not impressive: for the Brussels-Capital Region, the large wind turbines (outside of built-up areas) could total 2.8 to 18 MW and the micro-turbines 3 to 15 MW. This is to be compared, in order to put it into context, with the 1000 MW of power from just one of the six nuclear reactors in the country. A number of recent minor accidents and failures (at Mariembourg, Charleroi…) prove that micro-turbine technology is still at the trial and error stage.The study concludes by recommending deeper studies into the various domains, starting with a study on winds, an obvious prerequisite for any wind turbine project.

Bob Starc (Amaay!), recently designated as wind turbine facilitator for the Brussels-Capital Region: “Within ten years wind turbine technology will be as much a part of the urban landscape as traffic lights”.

© Carlin Fier and Dave Ltd.

n July 2009, Brussels-Environment published a study entitled ‘Study into the use of the potential of wind turbines in the Brussels Capital Region’.

Carried out by the CERAA (Centre for Research, Study and Action in Architecture), in collaboration with the ICEDD (Studies and Advice in Sustainable Development), and two services of the ULB, this farreaching study finally threw up as many unanswered questions as answers to the question of the pertinence of producing wind turbine energy in a city.

These questions revolve firstly around the nuisance factor: there is little information available about the noise emissions of micro-turbines or about their aesthetical impact; nothing is known about their impact on urban small animal life; the risks have not been assessed; blades cracking and falling to the ground, ice formed on these blades falling, the machine breaking down, thunder, vibration within the buildings, work accidents during installation and maintenance…

Other more administrative questions remain obscure: a planning permit will be indispensable, as will, probably, an environmental permit too, but nothing specific to these wind turbines yet exists within the various procedures in force in Brussels.

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doc. Amaay

Property & Building ManagEment I RENEWABLE ENERGY I

Nicknamed without compassion ‘The Lady Shave’ by Londoners, the Strata Tower (London) is a 42-storey residential building with 408 apartments, completed in 2010. This building produces 8% of the energy it consumes thanks to three wind turbines on its roof.

Technology in its infancy “This is a good study”, comments Bob Starc, from the Amaay! study bureau, a spin-off from a consultancy bureau specialised in the impact of the work environment on company productivity. “It puts the finger on the fact that, technically, we still no very little about urban wind turbines: to draw a parallel, we are currently at the same stage as the Wright Brothers’ first powered flight in 1903. Just 63 years came between this and the first flight by a Boeing 747. We are in the same situation with wind turbines – everything remains to be invented.

At Amaay! we are convinced that within ten years wind turbine technology will be as much a part of the urban landscape as traffic lights. And they will even be integrated into building design, as photovoltaic panels are now. Positive energy buildings will soon be the rule and wind turbines one of the means of achieving this. Fed by a multitude of independent sources and managed by a smart grid, the city will be made up of energy-producing buildings”.

A new wind turbine facilitator in Brussels Following the publication of this report, 2010 was dedicated to a first study on the wind Brussels, limited to just the Manhattan Tower in the North District and to brainstorming sessions involving scientists, local authorities and architects, sociologists… The following year, 2011, saw the first work on drawing up a ‘map of the winds’ in Brussels, and the birth of two

platforms: internet site Wincitybrussels and Urban wind HUB, with a network of partners meeting each year in order to update on Wincity. A facilitator was finally designated: the Amaay! bureau, charged with identifying potential urban sites through a call for projects and assistance with these projects. Six sites with different typologies will be selected. Certain of these have already been investigated: the Midi tower, the North Galaxy tower, the Coca-Cola building and the Port of Brussels in particular. Over the course of a year, wind measurements were scheduled to be carried out on the selected sites. According to the results, technology suited to each site was then to be defined in order for pilot projects to be set up in 2012. Following the results of these pilot projects, the Region will be able to draw up a strategy for the development of urban wind turbines.

A European network of urban wind The Wincity project is Europe-wide in scale, and underway in Luxembourg, Lille, Antwerp and San Sebastian in particular. Those behind it believe that the wind is an energy source which is growing in Europe and that the urban wind turbine will become a reality. The first objective of Wincity is to establish a database at a European level, gathering as much information as possible on the behaviour of the wind in cities. Anemometers will be positioned in strategic locations and measurements taken for at least two years. The objective is both to obtain usable information and to help make the public aware – in a visible manner – of the potential for wind turbines in cities. In a second phase, Wincity will position ‘pavilions’, flexible and aesthetically-pleasing energyproducing structures in strategic locations within European cities. These will make the public aware of sustainable energy solutions and will also improve the immediate urban surroundings. This phase will be followed by an exhibition of equipment and of the results of the pilot projects. Information on www.wincitybrussels.com Patrick BARTHOLOME n

Wind effects Certain urban wind turbines could make use of the ‘wind effect’ caused by the buildings. For cities in general and tall buildings in particular often lead to micro-climates and to wind effects, a recognised phenomenon for a long time.

This is explained as follows: because of the friction between the air and the ground, the wind often blows more slowly at ground level than higher up. High buildings, however, tend to deflect the wind downwards, towards areas normally protected from it. These ground level winds are unpleasant (cold) and sometimes dangerous for pedestrians, and the problem is becoming more widespread. This is one of the reasons Chicago is known as ‘the windy city’. In Brussels, the phenomenon is virtually permanent at the foot of the 174 metre high Finance Tower opposite the Botanical Gardens. This type of effect is also to be observed at the corners of buildings, which is what gave the engineers the idea of integrating vertical wind turbines into the buildings at these points. (Photo 1) The ‘Venturi effect’ which is characterised by local increases in wind speed, and thus an increase in the amount of air being moved, is also noticeable in the gaps between two buildings or in tunnels created within their structures to serve this purpose. Certain urban wind tunnel projects exploit this effect, such as the Bahrain WTC Building (photos 2 and 3).

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doc. Amaay

1

2

Š James Brittain

Š James Brittain

3

5

4

doc. Amaay

4. An architectural sign of the integration of sustainable development into the post-oil era city: vertical wind turbines coated with photovoltaic cells which could be located in urban public areas.

5. The Strata Tower in London - a 42-storey residential building with 408 apartments - produces 8% of the energy it consumes thanks to three wind turbines on its roof.

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Property & Building ManagEment I Sustainability I

Green certification for bu il The era of ‘green certification’ has begun, and is here to stay. In Brussels, the regulations for buildings on the sales and letting markets came into force in 2011. Brussels Environment Minister Evelyne Huytebroeck is a staunch advocate of a more ecologically-friendly built environment, and she gave us her thoughts on certification and the wider picture.

I

n conjunction with various organisations and associations, the Brussels Region is working hard to ensure that its future built environment conforms to the highest ecological standards. Evelyne Huytebroeck takes a very close interest, and is often to be found speaking at the inauguration of new developments. Nobody is better placed to explain current thinking and action in this domain.

Why single certification…?

Buildgreen, an initiative by Nathalie Saverys and Kathleen Iweins, held a conference in Brussels in October on the very subject of the proposed single ‘Belgian certification’.

Representing Evelyne Huytebroeck, Ismaël Daoud emphasised that the market needed a single reference point, to avoid the current confusion.

The certification being established would cover all types of building, and

What is the latest news concerning ‘green’ certification in Brussels?

Evelyne Huytebroeck: We have introduced the certification system in Brussels and to make sure we are well prepared, we already had 560 certifiers at the end of 2011, trained in six training schools. This means that there are enough people qualified to carry out the certification procedure for residential property. Where office space is concerned, there are also round 100 persons able to carry out certification. We have to remain extremely vigilant because it is vital that this work is carried out professionally, and that the certification procedure is of high quality. And I am happy to say that we have received almost no complaints up to now. From January there is a surveillance organism to ensure that this certification is carried out correctly, because it is of course also important that we don’t reach a situation of competition between the certifiers,

with one carrying out ten a day, and another just one! This also extends to the cost – for residential the cost is in the 150 to 400 Euros band globally, and we have to make sure there is not too much discrepancy between certifiers. We are not going to impose prices, however. The same philosophy applies to office space.

What is your opinion of the proposed ‘Single Belgian Certification’?

Evelyne Huytebroeck: It has always appeared to be ideal to create uniform rules for Belgium which cover all of the three regions. This has always seemed to be the simplest and most coherent way of proceeding… except that it must not be forgotten that a region like Brussels is very urban in nature, with a great deal of old buildings.

And it is therefore sometimes necessary to have regulations which are in keeping with this urban environment, which is not the same as a more rural environment. I am in favour of having the same calculation methods, but this does not mean that we have to impose exactly the same requirements.

There has been some talk of a ‘passive tower’. What is your opinion of this possibility?

Evelyne Huytebroeck: Well I would simply say – why not? I am not someone who is opposed in

would take in all of the major criteria found in other existing certification schemes, but in particular in the much-used BREEAM system, and in the Belgian Valideo label. All existing

Green City Index

certification systems have been ana-

This index, sponsored by Siemens and drawn up by the

lysed and compared, and these two

Economist Intelligence Unit, rates 30 European cities in

were the closest together, covering all

terms of their environmental performance and policies.

major energy, grey energy, construc-

Brussels, under the leadership of Environment minister

tion and operation criteria. The Brus-

Evelyne Huytebroeck, has been actively pursuing policies

sels Region’s ‘Exemplary Buildings’

to make the European capital one of the ‘greenest’ cities in

criteria are also, of course, being

Europe. The results are extremely encouraging.

taken into account. One of the major

advantages of the certification being

Brussels ranking (out of 30 European cities)

developed is that it has the support

Environmental governance:

1

(and input) of all three of the countries

Energy intensity (CO2/GDP):

3

regions, along with the federal state,

Water management:

4

and will be country-wide.

Overall ranking:

9

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u ildings - cities taking the lead What about the ‘green’ building your department is to construct at Tour & Taxis.

Evelyne Huytebroeck: We are still at the permit request stage but things are advancing. My great hope is that the building can be ready for 2014. It will be 16,000 m² of totally passive construction, so it is really a great challenge for us. It is for the environmental administration and there will be some 500 persons working there. It is not entirely offices – there will be a sort of ‘eco-centre’ on the ground floor, with a showroom displaying the latest advances in terms of energy performance amongst others. I want it to be a building open to At the 2011 climate conference in South Africa, the outside, where people can come in to receive you were representing the whole of Belgium as advice, not just an administrative centre closed to well as Brussels. How is Brussels in particular anyone else. seen in terms of being a green city?

Tim HARRUP n Evelyne Huytebroeck: It is very well considered, and this is partly because I have been making sure over the past few years that we are part of a number of European and other international networks. We are in the ICLEI, we are in the Energy City network, and we are one of the city’s which signed the Mayors convention for climate, along with the Mexico pact. This means that we are one of the cities which asked, during the Durban conference, that the message from the cities is also taken into account. We pointed out that over the coming years the highest proportion of the population of the world will be living in cities. The tools we have for tackling climate change are also located in cities. So we were saying that nations have to also think of cities during consideration about climate. And this is all the more important when it is remembered that an enormous number of cities already go further in their figures and their objectives, than the nations – including Brussels. principle to towers. Everything depends on what sort of tower, of course. It would have to include a number of qualities in terms of architecture and energy performance. It would also have to integrate into its urban surroundings – so there are a number of conditions to be respected, but I do not say ‘never any towers’. It is of course clear that it is more difficult to build a passive tower than a small house, but there are some extraordinary technical evolutions in the domain, so this type of thing cannot be ruled out in the years to come.

Brussels Environment Minister Evelyne Huytebroeck: “I am in favour of having the same calculation methods, but this does not mean that we have to impose exactly the same requirements.”

What is the objective of Brussels ?

Evelyne Huytebroeck: The goal was set at a reduction of 30% of CO2 for 2025, and 40% if it is calculated by inhabitant. Today we have already reduced (between 2004 and 2009) by 12% in CO2 emissions, and we have achieved a reduction of 18% in energy consumption per inhabitant. Where Brussels is concerned, I have submitted to Europe the candidature of Brussels to be Green Capital in 2014. The final winner will be known in June. And the figures we have been able to produce not just in terms of energy, but also of waste, of water, of air pollution, put us in a good position.

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photo: Bernard De Keyzer

Following the dismantling of the Dexia group at the end of last year, Dexia Bank Belgium – which no longer forms part of the group – is to change its name and its image. In anticipation of this change, the Dexia Tower – headquarters of Dexia Bank – is being modified and renamed Rogier Tower. From June of this year, the 824 agencies will also be re-branded in line with the graphic direction selected for the new identity of the bank.

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PROPERTY MANAGEMENT I NEW WORLD OF WORK I

A saving of 50,000 m² from workspace reorganisation Even if the poor governance of Franco-Belgian group Dexia culminated at the end of last year in the dismantling of the Dexia group, Dexia Bank Belgium – which no longer forms part of the group – can be saluted for its innovative strategy in the domain of mobility management and the working environment, producing significant positive financial results in the medium term. By applying the principles of the New World of Work at a very large scale, Dexia Bank Belgium has shown itself to be a pioneer. Four years later, other banks are adopting this concept and moving in the same direction.

T

he first banking crisis acted as a costsaving trigger in many ways, and Dexia Bank’s response has clearly been robust but insufficient to avoid the crisis which culminated at the end of last year in the dismantling of the Franco-Belgian Dexia group. Dexia bank set itself the objective of making overall savings amounting to € 600 million by the end of 2011. In the area of the use of buildings, the recurrent contribution to this cost saving had been set at € 19million. To achieve these savings, a substantial programme of new workplace organisation, with desk sharing at its heart, has been put in place. Along with the cost savings come space occupation savings. Some 50,000 m², or even more, out of the original total of just over 205,000 m² being shed, with the knock-on effect on market vacancy that this may have.

The bank refers to this as a total transformation plan.

This plan goes far beyond just of space layout. Marc Awouters, head of Real Estate at Dexia, is responsible for all of the bank’s corporate buildings, and he put it like this: “The ‘New World of Work’ is not simply a question of space management, of culture, of HR management – it is a collection of all these things.

It is interesting to see that different companies enter this ‘new world’ via different doors: Google, for example, sees it as a culture change, Microsoft sees it as a matter of IT… and it is true that it many ways it was all made possible by the advent of PC’s”. It should also be pointed out that the ecology is not forgotten in all of this. Real Estate Manager Marc Awouters points out that Dexia is well on the way to achieving its CO2 emissions reduction target of 50% for its Brussels headquarters between 2008 and 2012, and its proportion of employees coming to work by public transport – 83% – is one of the highest in Belgium. With regards to mobility, centralising the headquarters of Dexia in Brussels has therefore been

a great success. It is just a short walk between the three buildings now occupied. They are also easily accessible by public transport, in particular from the nearby North Station.

With other well known companies which have gone down this new route, a mix of space planning and IT considerations have been paramount. For Dexia, the starting point was quite clearly to reduce costs. Yet for a successful project, all three of these elements need to be taken into account. And when all of these criteria were put into the equation, Dexia found that everyone came along with the same sorts of solutions.

Marc AWOUTERS, Head of Real Estate, Dexia Bank Belgium “The ‘New World of Work’ is not simply a question of space management, of IT, of culture, or HR management – it is a collection of all these.”

Real estate optimisation objectives Staying with the cost element, following an investment of € 5 million in new ‘activity based’ furniture, Dexia Bank found that it was now occupying buildings whose costs were € 19 million too high. This figure was divided amongst other buildings in Brussels which were now no longer needed, one (€ 3 million) on the Rue Royale, another (€ 12 million) from the Livingstone building just below the European Commission buildings in the Leopold district, with the remaining € 4 million accounted for by freeing and re-renting some 15,000 m² in the Dexia Tower itself (the 5 upper floors) – and Jones Lang LaSalle has now been mandated with marketing this space. The other two (rented) buildings were vacated following negotiations with the owners in one case and a lease break in the other.

Dexia Bank Belgium or Dexia insurance Belgium owns the other buildings still occupied. In the wake of recent developments, the objective of offering 15,000 m2 for rent in the Dexia Tower has been revised upwards, and by the end of 2012, by continuing the quick march towards space optimisation, 30,000 m2 may be liberated and put BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012 71

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Property ManagEment I NEW WORLD OF WORK I

Pioneer By applying the principles of the New World of Work as early as 2007, Dexia Bank Belgium has been a pioneer. Four years later, other banks are adopting this concept and moving in the same direction. KBC is developing its project under the name of Plato, ING is going down the same route, also adopting the principle of shared offices

on the market. By 2014 some 50,000 m2 may have two or three to work together in a more convivial been vacated, enabling the bank’s real estate assets to atmosphere, and ‘Cockpits’ enable people to concentrate in private. All of this is arranged with a become substantially more profitable. great deal of colour and comfort – the partitioning is Department by department new space adorned with full size ‘nature’ photos on the outside, allocation and acoustic insulating cloth on the inside.

When the Dexia Tower was designed and built, this was not with a view to a desk sharing concept, but 80 % presence ratio traditional, individual work stations and offices. Out of 6.500 staff working in Brussels, Dexia Now, however, all has changed. Desk sharing as a currently has almost five thousand people working concept came onto the agenda as long ago as 2005, in this way, including Dexia Insurance Belgium, when Dexia initiated a plan called ‘Excellence in who moved from Livingstone building to Galilée Banking Support’. By the end of 2007 – before the building. The bank developed the system internally, banking crisis – Dexia decided to instigate a desk without any recourse whatsoever to outside sharing plan for the years to come. This was with a consultancy. One of the starting points for the 80% view to being able to vacate some of the rented space ratio was simple observation. The bank calculated and thus save on facilities management costs. At first that at any given time, taking into account business this involved the Facilities Management department trips, holidays etc., there are maximally eight out itself, which was to be used for the first trial. The IT of every ten employees actually in the office. This and HR departments followed in 2009, freeing up does not take tele-working into account. Most space and enabling Dexia Asset Management to be tele-working is carried out by persons whose job accommodated in the Tower. So the financial gains involves them travelling anyway, and this is why this were almost immediate. In concrete terms, today, aspect is not taken into consideration in calculating when members of staff arrive at work, they first the 80% presence ratio. Employees are able to fulfil make their way to their own floors. This is because all of their contracted hours, normally, by being although it is a desk sharing concept, this does present in the office for only four out of five days. not mean that people work absolutely anywhere. In reality, there is a higher degree of presence on Dexia works in what it calls ‘Activity Clouds’, which Tuesdays and Thursdays, with people opting for a means that people still need to be within their own longer weekend break or a midweek break. Dexia departments. Within each Cloud, there are sufficient has observed a departmental variation in presence work stations for 80% of the personnel. This ratio of levels, however. The IT Development department, 8 stations for 10 people is in open space layout. To for example, has a higher degree of presence than address some of the logistical issues, each member of Payments department. Alongside the reduction in staff nevertheless has a private locker where personal the number of work stations has come a reduction and work effects can be left overnight, and these are in the amount of space per work station – which picked up in the morning and taken to whichever will stand (for the ‘open space’ areas only), at around desk is chosen. The personnel are also given ‘mobile 12 m². cases’ (in which they can put their things and take them around with them. The ‘clean desk’ principle Now, almost everyone works within the desk is therefore very important. Obviously, though, there sharing principle in the Dexia Headquarter is less space for paper and other items to be stored, buildings. However, as Marc Awouters puts it, and Dexia therefore organises ‘junk days’ when the universal acceptance did not come immediately: personnel can get rid of all the things most of us “The relatively sedentary occupations such as probably keep unnecessarily and far too long… accountancy said that this was a great idea for the sales people, because they moved around and had Marc Awouters points out one specific characteristic lots of meetings. But the sales people said it was more of the Dexia method which may seem unusual: appropriate for back office, because there was a lot “Where we are different, is in that we do not have of part time working anyway. So everybody initially laptop computers. All our personnel works with thought it was a good idea, but for somebody desktop computers which are already installed at else!” Now, the attitude has completely changed. A the desks. They simply log in wherever they are”. satisfaction survey carried out internally has shown The same is true for the ‘fixed’ telephone numbers. that, firstly, everyone agrees that if it is necessary to The person logs in his or her desk location and calls cut costs, it is much better to do this by shedding come directly to that desk. Alongside the normal space than by shedding jobs! And on top of this, shared work desks and short period ‘benches’ some 50% of people state that their working life is known as ‘Touchdown’, other working zones have now better than it was before, and 30% say it is the been set up to allow for more private meetings etc. same. Only 20% express negative opinions.

These include small rooms known as ‘One2Few’ which are equipped with a computer and a wide screen enhancing collaboration. ‘Lounges’ are for Tim HARRUP n

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Pro-RealEstate.be • News: news and updated information on market trends and properties • Projects: get to know the evolution of town planning master plans; offices, retail and logistics projects

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• Library: trends en best practices in property, building and workplace management • Network: Coordinates and company profiles of key players in the real estate industry and suppliers

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Company removals and efficient stock logistics that’s

our business

Removals

Removals for small, medium and large companies, laboratories and computer rooms carried out by the Belgian leader in removals. Experience, security, advice and flexibility.

Archiving Management of active and closed archives, scanning, traceability, access via a secure Web interface, destruction.

Logistics Data-processing management and inventory on site of your stock of furniture and supplies.

Access via a secure Web interface, barcodes.

Service and more Responsibility for the organisational and operational management, assembly-installation of offices, furniture and building cleaning, bringing into compliance, supply and key management, security plans.

w w w. m o z e r. b e ANTWERPEN Boomsesteenweg B-2610 Antwerpen • België TEL +32 (0)3 440 51 51 • FAX +32 (0)3 440 49 49 E-MAIL : antwerp@mozer.be

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BRUXELLES Bâtiment 742 1931 Brucargo • Belgique TEL +32 (0)2 752 51 51 • FAX +32 (0)2 751 52 13 E-MAIL : brussels@mozer.be

LIEGE Avenue de l’Expansion, 1 4432 Alleur • Belgique TEL +32 (0)4 246 41 41 • FAX +32 (0)4 246 42 49 E-MAIL : liege@mozer.be

22/02/12 16:24

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REAL ESTATE NETWORK KEY PLAYERS

F

inding the right partner, adviser or supplier can be highly valuable to your performance in your investment, real estate development projects, properties, building en facilities management. In this section you will find profiles of companies and persons who can assist you in these areas.

More than 650 companies are enlisted with their coordinates in the online directory of ProRealestate.be. They are classified according to their field of activities. At the end of this section you will find a selection of these companies. Connect to www.pro-realestate.be/network for the full listing and their coordinates.

You can also use your iPhone or other smartphones to search for these companies’ coordinates via the dedicated website: m.pro-realestate.be

COMPANY PROFILES

REAL ESTATE NETWORK INDEX

76

ANIXTON

77

KPMG

97

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT

79

AREMIS

& MANAGEMENT

81

ATENOR

98

BUILDING & FACILITY MANAGEMENT

83

BELGIAN BUILDINGS AGENCY

84

LOGISTIC ORGANISATION GROUP

(L.O.G.)

85

BEDDELEEM

87

GLOBAL

89

IFMA

90

POLO ARCHITECTS

91

PYLOS

93

SDRB - GOMB – BRDA

94

SERVICE A

95

VK ENGINEERING

96

ZUMTOBEL

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COMPANY PROFILE

ANIXTON Leuvensesteenweg, 369 - BE-1932 Zaventem TEL 0032 (0)2 721 99 19 FAX 0032 (0)2 721 99 20 info@anixton.com www.anixton.com

Contact Vincent Gérin Managing Partner TEL 0032 (0)2 721 99 19 | 0032 (0)486 63 38 92 vincent.gerin@anixton.com

Structure Management

Introduction Corporate real estate is now, more than ever, a key challenge for companies.

Vincent Gérin Managing Partner

Cédric Liénart de Jeude Managing Partner

Anixton, an independent consultant in corporate real estate, delivers pragmatic and customised results to occupiers, owners, investors and property developers.

We work closely with our clients to align their real estate strategy with their corporate objectives and so optimise each stage of the real estate cycle and maximise the use and value of their real estate assets. We are committed to creating value, to advising them efficiently and to improving their performances. Always with the following priorities in mind: ethics, quality, customised advice and services.

Services Florence Dupont Partner

Belgian subsidiaries Anixton - Brussels

Plant/International Anixton - Luxembourg

Company Number of staff: 8 Year of foundation: 2006

Services for Occupiers • Real estate strategy (relocation analysis, occupancy costs analysis, decision assistance, etc.)

• Tenant Representation (new space search, negotiating existing rental conditions) • Technical, organisational, legal and financial advice • Facility management, project management, space optimisation

• Identifying and selecting opportunities • Deal structuring, financial & tax optimisation • Due diligence coordination • Coordinating sales instructions Services for Developers • Identification of opportunities • Selection • Residual Value & Cash Flow analysis • Assistance to negotiation

News ”STAY OR MOVE?” A UNIQUE SERVICE FROM ANIXTON. HOW TO REDUCE YOUR REAL ESTATE COSTS BY MORE THAN 15%?

Anixton gives you pro-active advice that starts with a thorough audit of your needs, with no prior commitment needed from you. Next, we submit different scenarios that optimise your real estate costs without reducing your employees’ comfort or productivity.

Go to www.stayormove.com for an initial audit free of charge.

References - Clients

We have already handled more than 500,000 m² and € 300,000,000 of real estate investments for companies such as: Abbott Labs, Amadeus Benelux, Services for Owners Atenor, Banimmo, Bird & Bird, Bouygues Immobilier, BPI, • Letting & Sales Instructions Coordination (coordinating Burco, Codic, Cofinimmo, Corelio, CFE, Dexia, Editions third party real estate agents, follow-up, visits, de l’Avenir, Equant, France Telecom, General Electric, materials, rules, motivation, etc.)

Immobel, Intégrale, Ixis, JCX Immo, Léon Eeckman, • Competitive analysis: location, financial conditions, Lock’O, Lotinvest, Mastercard, Mobistar, Natixis Capital size, technical aspects...

Partners, Pharmadeal, RTBF, Securex, Sotheby’s, Thalys • (re-)Positioning of building or project within its market International, UMC/MTS, Wanadoo, Western Union, ZA • Always proactive: identification of targets, Insurances… personalised direct approach In 2010, Anixton was ranked number 2 of real estate Services for Investors investment consultants in Belgium by the independent • Disposal and acquisition process magazine “Expertise”.

• Valuation & Building audits

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COMPANY PROFILE

KPMG Bourgetlaan - Av. du Bourget 40 BE-1130 Brussels TEL 0032 (0)2 708 43 00 FAX 0032 (0)2 708 43 99 info@kpmg.be www.kpmg.be

Contact Filip De Bock Partner TEL 0032 (0)3 821 18 28 filipdebock@kpmg.com

Structure Management

Introduction KPMG Real Estate and Infrastructure in Belgium approach real estate as an industry, as a class of investment assets as well as an opportunity to help our clients to increase stakeholder value.

In order to manage your real estate and infrastructure projects properly, you may think of KPMG Real Estate and Infrastructure as an extra resource – one which aims to be available when and where you need it.We provide a tailored service which is focused on building trusted relationships and delivering quality output through project teams experienced in accounting, tax, banking and corporate finance.

Filip de Bock Partner Audit - Head of KPMG Real Estate

Jorn De Neve Partner Corporate Finance

Approach KPMG Real Estate and Infrastructure’s services are delivered by industry-focused professionals who understand the challenges the sector is faced with today. Our practice groups a multidisciplinary team of professionals possessing specific knowledge in the fields of audit, tax, legal and accountancy support, as well as (financial) advisory services. Our teamwork allows us to offer you a comprehensive service, covering the entire real estate value chain.

Services Koen Maerevoet Partner Tax & Legal

Thomas Eggermont Director Corporate Finance

We are active in advisory services on the office market, the warehousing (logistical), semi-industrial, retail, residential and industrial markets.We have a track record in advising on international and Belgian infrastructure as well as Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects. Our clients include stock exchange listed and private property companies, indirect investment vehicles, occupiers, central, regional and local public authorities and construction companies.

Our wide range of Real Estate and Infrastructure services includes: • Acquisition and sale of investment • Public Private Partnership (PPP) • Set up and raising money • Divesting and refinancing • Reporting on performance and plan delivery • Tax, financial and legal due diligence International knowledge KPMG’s Global Real Estate and Infrastructure group is represented in all major international markets. Industry knowledge and training are shared among member firms, enabling our professionals to assist you in recognizing opportunities and implementing changes necessitated by industry developments.

National experience KPMG Real Estate and Infrastructure in Belgium is actively present in the real estate industry. We intervene in a substantial volume of real estate investments as advisor to foreign and domestic investors, or by structuring the transactions from a tax and financial point of view. Our knowledge and practical experience is known to the market as a result of our interventions in major projects.

Why KPMG Real Estate and Infrastructure?

In choosing KPMG Real Estate and Infrastructure professionals means opting for a strong multidisciplinary team of advisors with an in-depth understanding of local issues, challenges and trends combined with crossborder experience.

Thanks to our extensive network, technical knowledge and our many years of experience, our professionals are able to provide an issue-based and integrated quality service. Together, they strive to turn their knowledge into real value by providing pragmatic advice and hands-on assistance.

Paul Moreau Manager Corporate Finance

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Taking control of your Real Estate Portfolio Your real estate involves significant costs and risks and requires decisions with long term impacts. AREMIS helps you to acquire and maintain a thorough understanding of your portfolio.

This will ensure you make the right decisions at the right time.

AREMIS, a leading consulting, technology and services company entirely dedicated to corporate real estate and facility management.

With more than 15 years of experience and 90 professional profiles, AREMIS provides you with proven answers to your most frequent challenges. We deliver integrated solutions based on expertise and best practices, norms and benchmarks, processes and software to significantly reduce your real estate and facilities costs as well as your environmental footprint.

Contact us and discover how our experts and solutions can help you.

Avenue Charles Schallerlaan 54 -1160 Brussels info@aremis.com - www.aremis.com

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COMPANY PROFILE

AREMIS NV/SA Avenue Charles Schallerlaan 54 - BE-1160 Brussels TEL 0032 (0)2 775 95 12 FAX 0032 (0)2 775 95 14 info@aremis.com www.aremis.com

Contact Xavier Orts TEL 0032 (0)2 775 95 12 x.orts@aremis.com

Structure Management

Introduction AREMIS is helping organizations to optimize the sustainable managament of • their buildings • their work environment • their services to occupants This represents: • the 1st environmental footprint driver • the 2nd cost after salaries • a major driver for productivity and welness at work

Xavier Orts Managing Director

Réginald Thomas Management Services Director

AREMIS Group was created in July 2010 in the scope of a management buy-out in Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Switzerland. The experts and solutions deployed by AREMIS currently manage more than 31 million sqm.

Thanks to its international network, AREMIS is able to support organizations on local and global scale.

Services

Axel Tasiaux Sales Director

Bart D’heer Major Accounts Director

International Luxembourg, France, Switzerland

Company Number of staff: 90 Year of foundation: 2010

Turnover 2008: 7 400 000 € 2009: 7 700 000 € 2010: 7 800 000 € 2011: 8 100 000 €

Management Services: As a human resources developer and provider, AREMIS selects, develops and insources expert profiles to complement your building, facilities and real estate management resources. Our consultants and experts can notably complement your teams to: • Develop strategic space plans • Lease contract Management • Manage building projects • Implement energy performance improvement programs • Manage sites and buildings • Internal move coordination and space planning • Convert, create and maintain accurate drawing libraries • Update and process data to provide key performance indicators and management dashboards Information Systems : AREMIS delivers integrated solutions based on software expertise and best practices to optimize the costs and quality of the work environment and to reduce the environmental footprint of large organizations. These solutions will notably help you to achieve the following goals: • Real estate and occupancy costs optimization • Environmental footprint reduction • Increase in efficiency and credibility of your FM and RE departments • Shorten decision process and enhanced level of services

The AREMIS team is by far the most experienced in continental Europe and offers a strong combination of expert profiles: FM & RE process specialists, IT engineers and project managers, web and database experts, application consultants, CAD engineers. We deploy solutions that are supporting and embedded in daily operations to deliver intuitive decision dashboard that support your decisions with reliable data and indicators. These solutions will notably help you to achieve the following goals: • Portfolio inventory and lease administration • Environmental footprint calculation • Strategic space forecasting • Space planning and move management • Employee Portal - Service Desk administration • Maintenance Monitoring and Cabling • Condition Assessment • Resources Reservations (meeting rooms, shared desk, etc.)

Consulting Services: The AREMIS consultants have a practical experience in facilities and real estate management to support you in the following domains: • Define information system requirements, deployment plans and budgets • Manage information system deployments • Define or streamline processes and workflows • Define and map performance indicators and dashboards • Diagnose energy performance issues • Optimize printers and copiers policy and costs • Manage on-site building measurement campaigns

References - clients Some companies who trusted us : 3M, AGC Glass Unlimited, AXA, Bayer, BMW, BNP PARIBAS Fortis, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Brussels Airport, Cofely Services, Communauté Française Wallonie-Bruxelles, Corelio, Delhaize, DEXIA, European Commission Luxembourg, European Investment Bank, European Patent Office, European Space Agency, FOREM, Generali, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, IATA, IBM, KBC Bank, KBC Real Estate, Kiabi, Linklaters, Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes (France), Ministère des Finances à Luxembourg, Nestlé, Philip Morris International, Police d’Evere, Région Bruxelles Capitale/ Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Réseau Ferré de France, RTBF, RTL, Sanofi-Aventis, SITA, SNCB/ NMBS, Sodexo, SPF Sécurité sociale/ FOD Sociale Zekerheid, TOTAL, Tractebel, UBS, UCB, UEFA, Université Catholique de Louvain, Veolia.

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Eveillez-vous à la vie citadine. UP-site, le nouveau « place-to-live ».

Un concept unique en Belgique

Un quartier en pleine expansion

Des appartements sur-mesure

Des vues à couper le souffle

Des services haut de gamme

45% d’économies d’énergie (E=53*)

Contemporain et raffiné, UP-site est en passe de devenir le reflet emblématique d’un nouveau style de vie urbain, chic et actif.

Avec sa tour résidentielle de 140 m de haut et sa gamme de services exclusifs, Bruxelles n’a plus rien à envier à aucune autre ville.

À l’instar des grandes capitales d’Europe, le quartier du Canal vit une extraordinaire métamorphose : magasins et restaurants branchés, sites culturels avantgardistes, nouveaux parcs, mobilité multimodale optimisée.

Du pied-à-terre trendy au penthouse d’exception ou à l’appartement familial, chaque espace de vie s’ouvre sur une magnifique terrasse. La flexibilité des surfaces et des finitions vous permet de choisir le style et le budget qui vous correspondent le mieux.

UP-site, Avec sa tour résidentielle la plus haute de la capitale vous offre les plus belles vues de Bruxelles. Que ce soit depuis votre appartement ou votre terrasse, vous goûterez au calme ambiant tout en profitant d’un panorama époustouflant.

Le confort de votre appartement est agrémenté d’une offre de services exclusifs et facilement accessibles. De la conciergerie en passant par le spa, le centre de bien-être, le bar lounge, le restaurant, le skydeck, ou encore le cinéma privé, vous bénéficierez de tous les avantages de la vie urbaine.

Les appartements de la tour UP-site offrent des économies d’énergie substantielles (-45%) par rapport aux logements bruxellois standards.

Bâtiment durable, ambiance conviviale, espaces verts, mobilité douce sont autant de paramètres qui vont orienter votre choix...

www.trevi.be

+32 2 340 24 73

Atenor ENG 2012.indd 80

www.victoire.be +32 2 777 15 10

www.immobilierneuf.be + 32 2 423 00 00

www.engelvoelkers.com +32 2 290 44 00

www.concerto.be

CONTACTEZ NOS PARTENAIRES OU SURFEZ SUR WWW.UP-SITE.BE

* Moyenne arithmétique des appartements – à l’exception des appartements à caractéristiques particulières tels que duplex et quelques appartements des étages supérieurs.

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COMPANY PROFILE

ATENOR GROUP NV/SA Avenue Reine Astrid 92 - BE-1310 La Hulpe TEL 0032 (0)2 387 22 99 FAX 0032 (0)2 387 23 16 info@atenor.be - www.atenor.be

Brussels Europa

Contact Sandrine JACOBS for Happybizz sprl Communication Director TEL 0032 (0)2 387 22 99 - jacobs@atenor.be

Structure Management

Victor

City Docks

Stéphan Sonneville s.a.

Managing Director

Olivier Ralet (for Olivier Ralet BDM sprl) Executive Officer

Trebel

Introduction ATENOR GROUP is a real estate development company listed on NYSE Euronext Brussels.

Its mission is to provide suitable answers to new requirements created by changes in urban and professional life through its urban planning and architectural approach (mobility, respect for the environment, urban densification, safety…)

Laurent Collier (for Strat Up sprl) Executive Officer

Sidney D. Bens Chief Financial Officer

William Lerinckx (for Probatimmo bvba) Executive Officer

Sandrine Jacobs (for Happybizz sprl) Communication Director

Hans Vandendael (for Hans Vandendael bvba) Legal Manager

Plant/International ATENOR Group Romania - ATENOR Group Hungary ATENOR Group Luxembourg

Company

www.concerto.be

Number of staff: 36

Turnover 2008: 40 012 000 € - 2009: 35 490 000 € 2010: 10.944.000 €

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ATENOR GROUP invests in large scale real estate projects which meet very strict requirements in terms location, mixed use, diversification, technical quality, economic efficiency, and sustainable development.

Environmental responsibility Respect for the environment and sustainable development The Group proposes real estate projects which fall under a continuous progress of sustainable development: use of environmentally-friendly materials, energy drawn from the natural elements at hand (water, wind, sun)...

Social responsibility An increased functional diversity for more userfriendliness A user-friendliness factor, functional diversity makes it possible for city dwellers to experience the city differently. Well integrated into the urban fabric, it engenders a sociological diversity and supports inter-generational contact. From a macro-economic point of view, it also makes it possible to reduce intra-urban travel (mobility/ pollution) and to ensure a dynamics for the city beyond office hours.

Urban density as the basis even for the existence of a city For many town planners, increased urban density counts as one of the most relevant solutions for mitigating the problems with which large cities are confronted. A well considered increase in density thus acts in favour of a better quality of life.

Public spaces conducting a private space/public space dialog More than an open air meeting space, public space is a link between private life and public life. An essential and incontrovertible link that contributes to the success of the renovation of a district.

Architecture with a meaningful direction For Atenor Group, architectural quality fashions an urban landscape and encourages everyone to respect their city, to live there, to work there and to stay there.

Economic responsibility Attentive to its financial stability and future growth, ATENOR GROUP endeavours to create value by the implementation of a clear and largely diffused strategy.

The Group intends to offer to shareholders a regular return on capital.

Social and cultural responsibilities Sensitive to the promotion of art, architecture and education, the company therefore supports various projects.

References - Properties & Real Estate Development REAL ESTATE PORTFOLIO The projects in the portfolio representing about 500,000 m² are: South City Hotel (Brussels, Belgium – 2,760 m²), UP-site (Brussels, Belgium – 80,000 m²), Hermes Business Campus (Bucharest, Romania – 78,000 m²), Vaci Greens (Budapest, Hungary – phase 1: 56,000 m²), Brussels Europa (Brussels, Belgium – 30,000 m²), Victor (Brussels, Belgium – 56,000 m²), Port du Bon Dieu (Namur, Belgium – 12,000 m²), wCity Docks (Brussels, Belgium – 125,000 m²), Trebel (Brussels, Belgium – 32,000 m²), Brasserie Henri Funck (Luxembourg – 13,000 m²).

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© SM4à4 ( Conix Architects (Pilote), Archi 2000, Duijsens Meyer Viol, Atelier du Sart Tilman, Marcq & Roba

Résidence Palace, Future Council of the European Union Brussels © Architectes & Ingénieurs: Philippe Samyn and Partners, Studio Valle Progettazioni, Buro Happold Limited.

The Belgian Buildings Agency Gulden Vlieslaan - Avenue de la Toison d’Or 87 box 2 B-1060 Brussels - Belgium Phone: +32(0)2 541 70 66 - Fax: +32(0)2 541 70 70 www.buildingsagency.be

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Buildings Agency

22/02/12 16:33

COMPANY PROFILE

BELGIAN BUILDINGS AGENCY (Regie der Gebouwen Régie des Bâtiments) Avenue de la Toison d’Or 87 b 2 - BE-1060 Brussels TEL 0032 (0)2 541 65 11 FAX 0032 (0)2 541 65 10 infodesk@buildingsagency.be www.buildingsagency.be

Contact Laurent Vrijdaghs - C.E.O. TEL 0032 (0)2 541 70 76 laurent.vrijdaghs@buildingsagency.be

Structure Management

design and image by assar architecten

Introduction The Belgian Buildings Agency The real estate expert of the federal state Founded in 1971 as a semi-independent governmental organization, the Belgian Buildings Agency provides qualitative office accommodation for federal public servants and manages the national architectural heritage.

Responsibility, integrity, professionalism, flexibility and efficiency are its core values.

Laurent Vrijdaghs C.E.O.

Dirk Van Geystelen Director-general Strategy and real estate

The Agency manages about 7,9 million m² in real estate, devided over some 1 450 buildings. About 950 of the buildings are owned by the Federal state (about 4.9 million m²), 497 buildings are rented (about 2.9 million m²).

For the federal public servants, the Agency either rents office blocks of high quality, or it operates as a property developer. When renting offices, the needs of the clients are carefully analysed. For newly constructed buildings, particular attention is paid to the global architectural quality of the building plans. This quality is assessed, among other things, in terms of functionality, expected operating lifetime, aesthetical quality, urban integration within the existing environment, construction costs, maintenance costs and sustainable energy consumption.

Marie-Caroline Pardon Director-general Clients

Paul De Ceuster Director-general Operational

Roger Vermeulen Managing director Staff

Brussels (HQ), Antwerp, Hasselt, Leuven, Ghent, Bruges, Namur, Liège, Arlon, Mons, Nivelles

Company Number of staff: Around 1150 Year of foundation: 1971

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The federal heritage includes several buildings of immense architectural and historic interest, such as the site of the Cinquantenaire with the Cinquantenaire Museum, Autoworld and the Royal Museum of the Army and Military History. This patrimony is administered by the Belgian Buildings Agency, which guards over the preservation of these monuments and unique buildings, which refer to Belgium’s rich past and culture.

The Agency has been developing its conservation and restoration know-how for many years. Every year, the Agency restores several valuable buildings and monuments to their former glory. The opera house La Monnaie, the Palace of the Academies, the Musical Instruments Museum, the Belgian Royal Museums of Fine Arts, the Halle Gate, the Japanese Tower, the Chinese Pavilion and the Centre for Fine Arts are just a few examples of this commitment.

The Agency is also responsible for the various commitments of the Belgian state to provide office accommodation for international organizations such as

the European Schools (European Commission) or the Council of the European Union.

The realization of each project is always the result of a successful collaboration between the different partners.

Quality service and a specific and unique expertise in the fields of construction, restoration and real estate management make the Belgian Buildings Agency the real estate expert of the Federal State.

Services •

•

• •

Civil & Structural Engineering: stability, concrete and steel studies, infrastructure, special construction procedures, VRD, etc.

Engineering: Hvac, electricity, electro-mechanics, fire prevention, technical building management, energy management, environmental audits, special systems (IT, telephone, etc), restoration techniques, etc.

Facility Management Project Management : public procurement procedures, calls for tender, budget, timescale, space planning, quality control, etc.

References - clients • Federal Ministries • Federal Public Services (Personnel and Organisation, Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Budget and Management Control, Information and Communication Technology, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Home Affairs, Finance, Justice, Mobility and Transport, Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue, Social Security, Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, Economy, SMEs, Self-Employed and Energy) • Federal Public Planning Services (Social Integration, Fight against Poverty and Social Economy, Sustainable Development, Science Policy) • Fedasil • State Archives • Royal Palaces (Brussels and Laeken) • European school in Belgium (European Commission) • Council of the EU (Justus Lipsius Residence Palace) • Academia Belgica (Rome – Italy) • Fondation Biermans-Lapôtre (Paris – France) • World and International Exhibitions (Shanghai 2010, Saragossa 2008, Aïchi 2005, Hannover 2000) BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012 83

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COMPANY PROFILE

L.O.G Rue du Charroi 21-23 - BE-1190 Bruxelles - Forest TEL 0032 (0)2 512 21 10 FAX 0032 (0)2 503 34 16 www.log.be

Contact Geert Swaelens Business Development TEL +32 (0)2 340 29 86 Geert.Swaelens@log.be

Structure Management

Introduction

Benoît Detroz CIO-CFO

L.O.G is an independent company specialised in space management, interior design and optimisation of the workspace.

SERVICE L.O.G offers an integrated approach to space management incorporating your ever changing needs and objectives. This guarantees a holistic view on economic space management.

Patrick Dubois CEO

The design and the occupancy of the workspace of your company are known to be factors of high impact on the performance, strongly influencing the organisations’ ability to achieve its objectives.

COMPETENCES Interior architects, space managers, engineers, program managers, project leaders, draftsmen, designers and other operational staff.

Services

Whether you are considering a move within or outside your premises, creating or realising an interior concept, an integrated plan management, a pristine condition,…

L.O.G offers in a flexible way the appropriate solution.

Jurgen Wyckman COO Geert Swaelens Business Development

Company Number of staff: 27 Year of foundation: 2000

Turnover 2008: 1 650 000 € 2009: 2 150 000 € 2010: 2 102 000 € 2011: 2 400 000 €

Management Services: L.O.G offers an integrated approach at different levels: AUDIT How to design and layout the available space aligned with the objectives of your business? Based on the analysis of the current situation, L.O.G offers a view on constraints, success factors and opportunities for the development and optimization of the workspace to come.

PROJECT L.O.G brings on board a brought range of expertise offering the services for total project management, starting from analysis to realisation and final acceptance.

When needed your project team can call on specific expertise, ranging from one off questions to defined parts of the project.

References - clients ABLYNX - ACEA ELECTRABEL ROMA - AKZO NOBEL ATRADIUS - AZ DAMIAAN - BELPEX - B-POST BRAMMER - CHARLEROI AIRPORT - CHR CITADELLE LIEGE - CLYDE BERGEMANN - COLT TELECOM DISTRIGAZ - DLA PIPER - ELIA PRATER - ETHIAS - ETUDE NOTARIALE A.BOUTTIAU - EUROCLEAR - FIDUCIAIRE MONTGOMERY - GDF SUEZ / ELECTRABEL - JAPAN INTERNATIONAL TOBACCO - MERCEDES BENZ KOMATSU - LABORELEC - LEASINVEST - NATO/OTAN OMBUDSMAN DES ASSURANCES - PARCOURS - PLANTIN SECUREX SIBELGA - SIEMENS - TOTAL FINA - TRACTEBEL ENGINEERING - TRASYS - VITO

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company profile

BEDDELEEM NV/SA Venecoweg 14 A - BE-9810 Nazareth TEL 0032 (0)9 221 89 21 FAX 0032 (0)9 220 26 25 info@beddeleem.be www.beddeleem.be

Structure Management

Jo Beddeleem Managing Director Koen De Block Managing Director Hendrik Daneels Managing Director

Belgian subsidiaries Beddeleem - Nazareth Beddeleem - Brussels

Plant/International Beddeleem Paris - France Year of foundation : 1950

Turnover 2008: 33 000 000 € 2009: 34 500 000 € 2010: 34 000 000 € 2011: 40 000 000 €

Introduction

New

Beddeleem has been an absolute benchmark in the construction industry since 1950. In addition to manufacturing and installing relocatable partitions under the JB® brand name and climate ceiling systems under the JB® Cool brand name, we are also involved in ceiling systems, fixed partition walls and in fit-out.

JB® Sky unites elegance and transparency. Fine profile sets and a slim door frame, complemented by an intelligent coupling system, ensure that the showpiece of the JB® range will continue to stand for quality and aesthetics in your future office environment.

Products JB® relocatable partitions, a wide range extending from basic partitions for the most economical solutions to design partitions which respond to all technical demands.

JB® Cool climate ceilings, available as load bearing metallic panels or applied as a false ceiling in plaster panels.

JB Office project furniture, helps you to equip your office in a professional and tasteful way. Besides our newest modular JB® Desk system, complemented with the JB® Storage and the JB® Chair furniture, we offer you a large range of accessories which contribute to the finishing touch of your office. ®

Services Beddeleem offers you high quality products with a wide choice of finishing levels and colours, manufactured, delivered and mounted in very short time frames. Our Research and Development department is continually developing new products and constantly modifying and improving existing products. By installing our systems ourselves, we are not only able to guarantee a professional finish, but also offer particularly competitive prices.

JB® Door units consist of door frames with matching door leafs. The door frames can be lacquered steel plate, multiplex or solid wood. The door leafs can have different finishings, according to the colour, performance characteristics,....The JB® Door units consist of a limited number of parts and this means they can be assembled in a minimum amount of time and without the aid of any special tools.

References Ackermans & Van Haren, Arcelor Mittal, Atomium, AXA Belgium, Bank Van Breda, Belgacom, Besix, BMS, BNP Paribas Fortis, Borealis, Bouygues Telecom, BT, Carrefour, Coca-Cola, Antwerp and Mons Law Courts, De Lijn, Eandis, Ernst & Young, Ethias, Exxon Mobil, Fluxys, GDF Suez-Electrabel, Glaxosmithkline, Ikea, IMEC, Inbev, ING, Janssen Pharma, KBC, La Poste, Lidl, Makro, National Bank, Novartis, Polo Ralph Lauren, Robelco, RTL, Sibelga, SNCB, Solvay, Vandemoortele, Vivaqua, various European, federal and regional institutions,...

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HOLCIM S.A. - PORTES DE L‘EUROPE, ESPACE CHRISTIAN DOTREMONT - 12 AVENUE JEAN MONNET, B-1400 NIVELLES - PHOTO: MARC DETIFFE - COPYWRITER: VINCENT LENS - GRAPHIC DESIGN: GLOBAL-DPM JOHANNA FISCHER

global

give space a new dimension design project & facility management

In crisis times, reducing costs is essential, but this challenge also presents an outstanding opportunity. How can you reorganise your teams in the work area? What working method is most suited to the jobs performed? How can you improve your communications ? As specialist in creating and developing work spaces, GLOBAL will help answer these questions and make your offices a real strategic lever. So you can successfully meet your challenges, today and tomorrow.

WWW.GLOBAL-DPM.BE / STEVEN VALKENIERS +32 (0)475 83 06 23 / PHILIPPE JANSSENS +32 (0)474 97 55 07

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COMPANY PROFILE

GLOBAL Design, Project & Facility Management Chaussée de La Hulpe 177 / 20 - BE-1170 Brussels TEL 0032 (0)2 663 27 40 FAX 0032 (0)2 663 27 79 global@global-dpm.be www.global-dpm.be

Contact Alain LE GRELLE Managing Director TEL 0032 (0)2 663 27 43 ale@global-dpm.be

Structure Management

Alain LE GRELLE Managing Director - Associate Aferdita KAS Design Management - Associate Philippe BEMONT Project Management - Associate Steven VALKENIERS Sales Director - Associate Cécile SEVRIN Administration - Associate

Company Number of staff: 27 Year of foundation: 1995

Turnover 2008: 2 145 000 (ex. VAT) € 2009: 2 181 000 (ex. VAT) € 2010: 2 748 000 (ex. VAT) €

Introduction In 1995 a handful of enthusiasts decided to form the GLOBAL study centre. The centre quickly specializes in design and management of work spaces. In 2004 it expands its activities to businesses, housing and hotels. All of these spaces have one thing in common: the need for tailored solutions in order to revalue the human dimension. An aspiration GLOBAL tries to realize by maintaining a tight financial budget, combined with creativity, flexibility and synergy. As a consequence, the company has become a pre-eminent partner for companies that wish to give real meaning to their space.

Services Change management Since the early nineties, GLOBAL has been offering an exclusive approach to organising the workplace. Based on the Dynamic Office concept, Change Management creates a new relationship between the different areas associated with work, inside the office as well as outside. The goal is to rationalise the space available whilst offering employees more flexibility and giving the company a really attractive image.

Space Planning. Understand, solve, plan.

GLOBAL tries to get acquainted with the client’s personal culture, understand and analyse this culture and then translate it into its own words. Main objective: To present a first proposal to rearrange the space organizationally.

In addition, the centre studies the project’s feasibility and makes the requisite budgetary analyses.

Design Management. Design, equip, verify.

The first creative and aesthetic sketch takes on a more solid form and the first outlines are refined. We help you select the materials, partitions, and wiring, as well as the air conditioning, the new panelling, the lighting, the colour schemes, and the furniture. Of course keeping in mind all the parameters the client has set for the actual execution.

Project Management. Select, coordinate, check.

GLOBAL keeps your quality standards, timeframe and budget perfectly under control. The project manager with whom you are in constant contact watches over your interests. He makes sure the work proceeds smoothly by keeping an eye on the specifications and the tenders, managing the time and the budgets and coordinating and monitoring the on-site activities.

Facility Management. Counsel, advise, develop.

The attention GLOBAL pays to flexible spaces, cost analysis and of course cost-effectiveness immensely facilitates the step toward a new location. It also helps you manage the newly-applied structures in an integrated way. GLOBAL looks ahead and anticipates its clients’ future needs. That is why we also provide a customized after sales support.

References - clients ACCOR, ASTRA ZENECA, AXA, BAIN & COMPANY BELGIUM, BÂTIMENTS ET PONTS CONSTRUCTION, BOEING, BONELLI EREDE PAPPALARDO, BREDIN PRAT, BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO, CARDINAL HEALTH, CLEARY GOTTLIEB STEEN & HAMILTON, CLIFFORD CHANCE, COCA COLA, COFINIMMO, COMMISSION EUROPEENNE, CUMERIO, DATASCOPE, DE WOLF & PARTNERS, DEXIA, EASYNET, EBBINGE, ELECTRABEL, ELIA, FIRST INDUSTRIAL, FOST +, FRESHFIELDS DERINGER, G 14, GENERAL ELECTRIC, GLAXO SMITH KLINE, GREY, HENGELER MUELLER, HONDA, HUNTON&WILLIAMS,ING, INNOVEX / QUINTILES, JET AIRWAYS, JONES DAY, LA POSTE, LACTALIS, L’ECHO, LIEDEKERKE, LINKLATERS, LOYENS LOEFF, McKINSEY & COMPANY EUROPE, MOBISTAR, NAUTADUTILH, NCR, NESTLE, NH HOTELES, OUTOKUMPU OYJ, PREVENT, RAFFINERIE TIRLEMONTOISE / TIENSE SUIKERRAFFINADERIJ, S.N.C.B. / N.M.B.S., S.T.I.B. / M.I.V.B., SECURA BELGIAN RE, SLAUGHTER & MAY, SOM, SPE, STATE STREET, STIBBE, SYNTHES, THE BRUSSELS AIRPORT, TOYOTA, UCB , UMICORE, UNIFERT, URIA MENENDEZ, VAL-I-PAC, VANGUARD INVESTMENTS EUROPE, VF EUROPE, VILLEROY & BOCH, WALL STREET JOURNAL EUROPE, WILMER HALE LLP, WORLD BANK.

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Tour & Taxis I Brussels I 22-23-24 May 2012

Real Estate & Facility Management meet at ‘Realty’

The IFMA (Belgian Federation of professionals involved in Facility Management) together with the architects are promoting exchanges and knowledge sharing between architects and end-users - occupiers - of a building. For the end-users, real estate optimisation, building maintenance and energy efficiency are often within the facility manager’s scope of responsibilities.

On Tuesday 22nd of May, at 15:00 during the Realty B2B real estate trade fair, IFMA is organizing a conference about "Turntoo, an engine for a circular economy - forget ownership, focus on performance!" presented by Architect Thomas Martin Rau, European C2C and Sustainability Authority.

This seminar will be followed by the "Facility Awards 2012" event celebrating the nomination of "The Facility Manager of the Year 2012" and the "Best FM Thesis". More information on www.facility-awards.be

IFMA thanks these partners for their support :

Event Partner

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Professional Partners

Online registration via www.realty-brussels.com When registering for the fair, you will gain free access to the conferences

Media Partners

Fair Partner

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COMPANY PROFILE

IFMA BELGIAN CHAPTER Hemelaerstraat 21 - BE-9100 Sint-Niklaas TEL 0032 (0)2 424 12 80 FAX 0032 (0)2 424 12 90 info@ifma.be www.ifma.be

Contact Annemie VAN GOETHEM Office Manager TEL 0032 (0)2 424 12 80 secretary@ifma.be

Structure Management

Gilles Rasson President

Michel Adriaens Board Member

Mieke Loncke Secretary

Yves STEVENS Development & Marketing Manager

Dirk De Cuyper Board Member

Yves Bertholomé Treasurer

Introduction Company profile

IFMA is Belgium’s only specialist association for professionals in the world of facility management.

The organisation has now existed for 15 years in Belgium, having witnessed the development of this specialist field in the country since its infancy.

IFMA Belgium is an important European chapter in the worldwide IFMA International. IFMA Belgium Chapter reaches today more than 6500 professionals and providers in the sector of activity.

As an organisation, IFMA works to build a future founded on three pillars: specialised events that turn the spotlight on a specific discipline within facility management, an unconditional focus on the content of the specialist field and actions that place its members centre stage.

Facility Management meets Real Estate Real Estate meets Facility Management As facility managers and facility directors take decisions at a strategic level, they are being given new responsibilities and having an ever greater impact on overall events in the company. Facility Management has a direct impact on running and maintaining a company’s buildings and workplaces, along with the quality of the working environment for employees. CEO’s are more and more realising that optimal facility management can have a substantial impact on the final operating, social and financial results of the company.

The existing working groups will continue to receive professional guidance with a view to ensuring added value for members. New actions will be undertaken in line with the market situation.

IFMA Facility Awards New ‘Facility Manager of the Year’ Every year IFMA organises a competition to find the best ‘Facility Management Project of the Year’.

This is the biggest annual event in the world of facility management. The IFMA Facility Awards are synonymous with innovative projects, achievements that demonstrate progress in the field and as such serve as an example for fellow professionals.

The facility manager who supervised the ‘Facility Management Project of the Year’ shares his experiences with his colleagues. This is why, as of 2011, elections will also be held to find the ‘Facility Manager of the Year’.

The ‘Facility Management Project of the Year’ will now be organised every two years, in order to give projects with high added value every chance of being highlighted through this competition. Alternating with the ‘Facility Management Project of the Year’, will be the election of the ‘Facility Manager of the Year, a new IFMA initiative. The winners will receive their prizes on 22nd of May 2012 during the Realty exhibition fair. This gala evening will be hosted by two now familiar presenters: Kathleen Cools and Frédéric Deborsu.

Training IFMA lies behind the organisation of vocational training for facility professionals. Over 500 people throughout Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels • The legal responsibility of the facility manager and successfully followed a specialised FM training course, at post graduate or bachelor level with a specific professional insurance for facility full-time curriculum. The training in strategic Facility managers have been defined within workgroups.

• The responsibility of the facility manager relative Management and themed half day training sessions are two new IFMA initiatives. to energy management, facility management in the healthcare sector, efficient collaboration Become a member of IFMA between architects and building users – facility This professional organisation offers to everyone managers – are at the top of the IFMA agenda taking care of facility management a single platform • IFMA Belgium also closely follows the new FM for events, knowledge, training and networking. norms at a European level, and clarifies them to IFMA constitutes the logical complement for every make them easier to apply. professional facility manager. Affiliation to the IFMA should therefore be a natural reflex for those proud of their work, who want to share experiences with colleagues and who understand the indispensable nature of continuous training.

IFMA anticipates this with targeted research through specific working and specialist workgroups within the organisation. Here are a few examples:

Annemie Van Goethem Office Manager BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012 89

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COMPANY PROFILE

POLO ARCHITECTS BVBA/SPRL Tavernierkaai 2 bus 28 - BE-2000 Antwerp TEL 0032 0(3) 225 18 84 FAX 0032 0(3) 233 22 67 info@polo-architects.be www.polo-architects.be

Contact ir. arch. Patrick Billiet managing director TEL 0032 (0)3 225 18 84 pb@polo-architects.be

Structure Management Introduction Mauro Poponcini (°1956) and Patrick Lootens (°1958) studied architecture at the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of Leuven (1981). ir. arch. Mauro Poponcini business manager

ir. arch. Patrick Lootens business manager

ir. arch. Patrick Billiet managing director

Company Number of staff: 43 Year of foundation: 1991

From an architectural point of view, Poponcini & Lootens ir. architecten bvba seek the qualities that endure as well as a corrective relationship between form and space, connecting with contemporary conditions.

Mauro Poponcini teaches at the University of Leuven, Department of Architecture, Urbanism and Planning, having extensive experience in the supervision of architectural assignments and urban planning studies.

Patrick Lootens also taught until 2005 at the University College of Antwerp, department of Architecture. He is currently following a Master’s in Urbanism and Strategic Planning at the University of Leuven.

Services

Mauro Poponcini and Patrick Lootens have been running Poponcini & Lootens ir. architecten bvba, established in Antwerp, since 1991. The team consists of 43 employees in total.

References - Properties & Real Estate Development

Poponcini & Lootens ir. architecten bvba is a team of architects that operates as conceptual designers of a wide range of programmes, with sufficient capacity for realisation in the search for concrete solutions, taking account of the programmatic requirements of the client, the budget and the constructional demands. In this, Poponcini & Lootens ir. architecten is supported by specialists in the relevant disciplines.

The commissions that come to the bureau are very diverse in nature and scale: residential, educational, commercial premises, offices, urban studies, etc., in respect of new construction as well as renovation of private and municipal buildings.

The methodology used in these diverse commissions is uniformly applied, irrespective of scale. The architecture of Poponcini & Lootens ir. architecten bvba is presented as an inherent logic between programme, construction, form and environment. The design results from the critical response to the programme and the determination of the relationship with the environment, based on a thorough analysis of the environment and of the social context.

• Architecture • Town Planning • Feasibility studies • Total supervision of the construction process (from sketch design/draft design up to and including commissioning/delivery) • ...

• Fire Brigade station in Ranst - new construction - 1997 • Science Park Arenberg in Leuven - master plan - 1999 • Apartments and shops in the HELIX, Antwerp new construction - 2002 • Head Office of InBev in Leuven - new construction - 2002 • Sint Lukas University College, Brussels new construction and renovation - 2003 • Gasthuisberg Onderwijs en Navorsing in Leuven - new construction - 2003 • Business Centre in Kallo for Kantoennatie NV - master plan and new construction - 2003 • Mava Environmental Solutions offices in Steenokkerzeel new construction - 2003 • Science Park Arenberg office cluster I in Leuven new construction - 2003 • Head Office of Telenet in Mechelen - extension - 2005 • Cultural Centres in Antwerp - master plan and execution - 2006 • Science Park Arenberg office cluster II in Leuven new construction - 2006 | Office tower of the Flemish Administration Centre, Koningin Fabiololaan Sint- Pietersstation, Ghent - new construction - 2010 • Artesis University College in Antwerp - new construction - 2011 • Ambulant Centre in Leuven - new construction (extension) - 2011

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COMPANY PROFILE

PYLOS BENELUX NV/SA Brugmannlaan, 16 - BE-1060 Brussels TEL 0032 (0)2 534 88 81 FAX 0032 (0)2 534 88 79 alex.dewitte@pylos.be www.pylos.be

Contact Jurgen Trappeniers Project Director TEL 0032 (0)2 340 19 62 jurgen.trappeniers@pylos.be

Structure Management Introduction

Edward De Nève Founder²

Alex De Witte CEO BENELUX

Tom Deckers CFO

Johan Theunis CTO

Eric Claessens Project Director

Yann-Alexandre Tytgadt Project Director

Jurgen Trappeniers Project Director

Company Number of staff: 25 Year of foundation: 2001

Plant/International Pylos Luxembourg - Pylos France Pylos Suisse - Pylos Brazil

History PYLOS was founded by Edward De Nève and Vincent Boutens in early 2001 at the respective ages of 28 and 31 years old. Since then, the group has proven to be very successful, delivering 120.000 m² of projects to the market, with a combined value in excess of €300 million by the end of 2010. Today, PYLOS is active in Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland and Brazil, with a strong local presence in each country. Our philosophy is to deliver practical, useable commercial space to our clients, quickly and economically, using a small, flexible team. We attribute our successes to astute management, lean, flexible operations, an unrivalled sense of timing and a hard-working, dynamic team.The PYLOS group has seen a significant expansion over its first decade of existence. Whilst the first years were aimed at establishing ourselves in our incumbent market, Belgium, diversification through international expansion soon became a cornerstone of Pylos’ business strategy.

well as on a micro scale -affecting the occupiers.

PYLOS identified this same philosophy in the “Breeam” certificates and has decided to adapt the Breeam principles for all projects started since 2010.

We prefer to think of sustainability rather than just energy savings, since good sustainable design leads not only to more efficient energy consumption, but affects the well being of people in their interaction with the immediate environment.

Based on our experience over the past years and the continuous feedback from our tenants, we strongly believe in a pragmatic approach to sustainable design. This means that for every new development our technical team will analyze applied concepts and upcoming techniques and evaluate their respective strengths or weaknesses. Therefore PYLOS will always implement concepts that make sense and go beyond being fashionably green.

Mission Statement PYLOS strives to deliver solutions and add value in commercial real estate, servicing the demands and needs of the end-users and investors.

PYLOS will accomplish these goals in a timely manner, within budgeted cost and with respect for our stakeholders and for the environment.

Today, environmental awareness is part of our daily lives.

This is even more so for the Real Estate market, due to the vast impact buildings have on the environment during their lifecycle.

We acknowledge this responsibility and approach it as an opportunity to confirm our position as one of the leading real estate developers

Axa Belgium / Intégrale / Ethias / Panasonic / Michelin FedEx / Atlas Copco / Grontmij / GDF SUEZ / Hasbro Adecco / T-systems / Promethera / Oaktree / SC Johnson / Ecolab / Société Générale

Environmental commitment In 2004, PYLOS investigated the possibilities of sustainable architecture and hence was the first Brussels real estate developer to do so. This resulted in a design team with the Flemish government / 3E and lead to the first “green” development in Brussels – Waterside.

After this positive experience we were convinced that applying sustainable concepts would offer added value in future projects - on a larger, environmental scale as

References - Clients

References - Properties & Real Estate Development Delivererd projects: Atlas Copco (3.800 m² offices / 10 - 15 Mio EUR) Connexion (16.000 m² offices / 25 - 40 Mio EUR) Waterside (17.500 m² offices & residential / 40 - 60 Mio EUR) Reflexion (8.500 m² offices / 15 - 25 Mio EUR) West End I (10.000 m² offices / 25 - 40 Mio EUR) Watson & Crick Hill I (20.000 m² offices & mixed area / 25 - 40 Mio EUR) Immo Fractal (5.500 m² mixed area / 5 - 10 Mio EUR) Industrialaan (3.500 m² offices / 5 - 10 Mio EUR) Gare Immo (3.500 m² offices / 25 - 40 Mio EUR) Royal Monterey (6.000 m² / 60 - 80 Mio EUR) In development: West End II (30.000 m² offices / 60 - 80 Mio EUR) E-lite (7.000 m² offices / 15 - 25 Mio EUR) Watson & Crick Hill II ( 30.000 m² offices / 60 - 80 Mio EUR) Stargate (6.500 m² / 40 - 60 Mio EUR) BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012 91

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An exemplary sustainable neighbourhood in Brussels that will contribute to the renewal of the canal zone.

LE FE VR E

BRDA Brussels Regional Development Agency +32 2 422 51 51 commercial@sdrb.be - www.sdrb.be PROJET

This large mixed-use project located along the canal in a very mixed area, will combine economic activities and housing.

All of the buildings will be constructed according to the principles of high energetic performance (passive or low-energy).

OCTOBRE 2010 DOSSIER AMENDÉ APRÈS ÉTUDE D'INCIDENCES

DATE

ARCHITECTE / URBANISTE

Architecte responsable : Benoit Moritz ECHELLE 1 / 500

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Rue Gabrielle Petit, 6 - 1080 Bruxelles Tel. 02/422 51 11 e-mail : info@sdrb.be

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Pavés e n béton avec couche superficielle spéciale - lavée format 20x20x8cm - chanfrein 2x2mm couleur: jaune Betonstraatstenen met speciale bovenlaag - gewaterstraald formaat 20x20x8cm afschuining 2x2mm kleur: geel

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RU

MO LENB EEK

VOLUMES CAPABLES DES NOUVEAUX BATIMENTS

Pavés e n béton avec couche superficielle spéciale - lavée format 20x20x8cm - chanfrein 2x2mm couleur: jaune Betonstraatstenen met speciale bovenlaag - gewaterstraald formaat 20x20x8cm - afschuining 2x2mm kleur: geel

2

R+3 R+3 Couche de pose - ép:3cm sable de concassage 0/7 Straatlaag - dikte:3cm gestabiliseerd puinbrekerszand 0/7

R+4 Rejointoyage au mortier hydrofuge avec adherence amelioree Voegvulling met vochtwerende mortel met verbeterde kleefkracht

200

R+4

R+4

Couche de pose sable de concassage 0/7 Straatlaag gestabiliseerd puinbrekerszand 0/7

R+1

NS SE ES CLA

Filet d'eau en pavés de grès Watergreppel met greskasseien

R+1

VAN

Rejointoyage au mortier hydrofuge avec adherence amelioree Voegvulling met vochtwerende mortel met verbeterde kleefkracht

P 1

E RU

Rejointoyage au mortier hydrofuge avec adherence amelioree Voegvulling met vochtwerende mortel met verbeterde kleefkracht

1

ZONE DE STATIONNEMENT PARKEERSTROOK

1

Bordure en béton préfabriqué Gris type IC2 format 100x30x15cm chanfrein 2x2cm Boordsteen in grijs geprefabriceerd beton type IC2 formaat 100x30x15cm afschuining 2x2cm

R+5

DU PO

R+2

UE

R+4

TIER

40

E RU

R+4

EN

R+4

400

R+4

0

AV

R+4

TIER

VARIABLE

R+4 VOIRIE - WEGENIS

K EE NB LE MO R+4

WAU

TROTTOIR - VOETPAD

R+4

DÉTAIL - PROFIL VOIRIE 1

DE R+1

I OL TIV

RU ED IEU DO NN E RT

DU

R+8 R+3

DU PO

R+4

UE

R+4 WAU

EN

TBEEK RUE DROO

E DE RU

R+3

AV

1

E RU

E RU E DE RU

GULIC K

VOIRIES ET EQUIPEMENTS

ZONE DE PARC ET JARDIN

ZONES DE CONSTRUCTION EN SOUS-SOL

PAVES EN BETON

RACCORD TROTTOIR EXISTANT

ARBRES PLANTES DANS COURS ET JARDINS

RANGEMENT VELO

CONSOLE D'ECLAIRAGE

POTELET

BANC

PAVES EN GRES A TETE PLATE

ARBRES PLANTES EN VOIRIE

POUBELLE

R+3

3

90 5

20

RUES DE MOLENBEEK, WAUTIER, TIVOLI ET CLAESSENS,

LOTISSEMENT TIVOLI PLAN JOINT A LA DEMANDE DE PERMIS DE LOTIR

VILLE DE BRUXELLES / REGION DE BRUXELLES-CAPITALE

REPRESENTE PAR :

Société de Développement pour la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale Président: D. Grimberghs

Administrateur délégué: J. Meganck

Rue Antoine Dansaert, 206 - 1000 Bruxelles Tel. +32 2 502 81 07 - Fax. +32 2 502 81 28 e-mail : ms@ms-a.be

PRESCRIPTIONS LITERALES

Rue Jonniaux, 16 - 1040 Bruxelles Tel. 02/733 14 73 - Fax. 02/733 85 33 e-mail : chenu.olivier@skynet.be

Olivier CHENU U R B A N I S T E

TITRE

PLAN ILLUSTRATIF + AMENAGEMENT DES VOIRIES (valeur indicative) N° DU PLAN

06

Tivoli

Housing

446 housing units, two crèches, shops and public spaces.

Spaces for economic activities

Two buildings will house business activities on 12,000 m2 of floor space, 7,500 m2 of which will be home to the BRUSSELS GREENBIZZ project thanks to €15 million in ERDF funding.

With us, Brussels is yours!

22/02/12 24/01/12 16:43 17:18

COMPANY PROFILE

SDRB GOMB BRDA Rue Gabrielle Petit 6 - BE-1080 Brussels TEL 0032 (0)2 422 51 11 FAX 0032 (0)2 422 51 12 info@sdrb.be www.sdrb.be

i

Contact Mireille FRANCQ General Director TEL 0032 (0)2 422 51 11

Structure Management

Introduction The Brussels Regional Development Agency With us, Brussels is yours!

Denis GRIMBERGHS Chairman of the Board

Julien Meganck Executive Director Mireille FRANCQ General Director Philippe ANTOINE General Manager Nicolas JOSCHKO General Manager Gert Van der Eeken General Manager

Company Number of staff: 130 Year of foundation: 1974

The BRDA has nearly 40 years of experience in professional real estate The Brussels Regional Development Agency (BRDA) was created in 1974 to facilitate the establishment of high value-added industrial, semi-industrial, artisanal and services companies in the Brussels-Capital Region by providing real estate infrastructure at attractive prices.

The BRDA acquires plots of land which it makes viable and provides to businesses in the form of long-term leases. The BRDA also re-purposes former industrial sites as multi-purpose premises for economic activities, that meet the needs of businesses and puts them on the market at attractive rates.

Thanks to its work, the BRDA promotes economic development and employment in the Brussels Region.

The BRDA currently manages a total area of nearly 200 ha with over 270 companies that provide 18,000 jobs.

Services The BRDA provides tailor-made real estate solutions All businesses looking for premises in the BrusselsCapital Region can contact the BRDA. Companies that want to establish themselves on the plots or in the buildings of the BRDA must meet certain activity and employment criteria. The BRDA then shows the properties (land or buildings) in its portfolio to the company.

If there are no suitable properties in its real estate portfolio, or if the company does not meet the criteria, the BRDA will try to find a solution in the private sector via its Inventimmo real estate database (www.inventimmo.be) which lists all properties available in the Brussels-Capital Region (workshops, depots, offices, industrial lots, etc.).

The BRDA provides support and advice and directs companies to the right contacts In addition to providing real estate support, the BRDA analyses project financing, the granting of any permits or subsidies, and guides companies towards other regional partners such as the Brussels Enterprise Agency, the Brussels Regional Investment Company, the Brussels Guarantee Scheme, etc.

The BRDA, a significant player in Sustainable Urban Development The BRDA has also been very involved in urban renewal projects for the past 25 years. It builds housing for middle-income households. Thanks to regional subsidies, it makes housing available to residents of Brussels at 30% below the city’s real estate market prices.

The BRDA moved to a sustainable development policy several years ago. All of the housing built by the BRDA is either passive or low-energy.

The BRDA also manages mixed-use projects in which housing and workshops are seamlessly integrated.

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COMPANY PROFILE

SERVICE A BVBA/SPRL 12 rue du Monastère - BE-1000 Bruxelles TEL 0032 (0)2 792 83 03 FAX 0032 (0)2 611 07 46 info@service-a.com www.service-a.com

Contact Jean Leclercq Associate jleclercq@service-a.com

Structure Management

Introduction Created in 2007 by two architects at a time when no such service existed in Belgium, Service A became the first Belgian recruitment company specialized in architecture, construction and real estate. Through the years, Service A has developed it’s own and strong database composed exclusively of profile related to these three specific sectors.

Grégory Losson Architect, Co-founder, Associate

Jean Leclercq Architect, Co-founder, Associate

Company Year of foundation: 2007

If a good recruitment service depends above all on a good understanding of the client’s needs, Service A can without a doubt garanty this crucial factor to their clients. Indeed, Service A’s team is composed of only architects and therefore has the perfect comprehension of either the client and the candidate’s demands and expectations.

Rapidly recognized by the main actors as a useful and indispensable service, Service A has become in its sector a real recruitment partner when it comes to finding the right person for a company, a team or a project.

Services Service A has developed a specific methodology and series of services in order to suit the niche in which Service A operates.

Whether you want to hire someone for an indefinite period of time or for a specific project, Service A has an answer.

Service A | Selection: Looking to hire someone for an indefinite period of time ?

Service A Selection is a complete Search & Selection service.

After analyzing the client’s demand, Service A searches the right profile, makes the selection and handles the interviews before presenting the candidates to the client.

Service A | Temporary Work: Looking to hire someone for a specific project or mission ?

Service A Temporary Work is a specific body shopping or outsourcing service.

After analyzing the client’s demand, verify the budget and deadlines, Service A introduces to the client a series of freelancers capable to handle the project or mission.

Once the project or mission is accomplished, the freelancer returns to Service A. Profiles frequently asked at Service A: Project managers, Developers, Facility managers, Property managers, Coordinators, Architects, Interior architects, Engineers, Draftmen, Freelancers,...

References - clients COFINIMMO, ATENOR, ART&BUILD, ASSAR, ARCHI2000, VIZZION, HERPAIN, VK GROUP, BURO2, ARTABEL, ETAU, MDW ARCHITECTURE, COOPARCH, 51N4E, SOCATRA, 3EME BUREAU, BSOLUTION, AR-TE, BPOST, MINALE DESIGN STRATEGY, ATELIER D’ARCHITECTURE ET D’URBANISME, TABART, VELUX, RADIANCE 35, ADE, AT-OSBORNE, D’IETEREN, TASE RESEARCH, R&A MAHIEU, ARCHITECTURADORE, LUC DE BEIR, PAJO PLAN, INNOVATION, DDS & PARTNERS, ATLAND, GROUPE STRUCTURE 3, ACT DESIGN, CHU ST-PIERRE, CHU BRUGMANN,..

“Hire less, hire better”.

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COMPANY PROFILE

VK ENGINEERING NV/SA Av. Clemenceaulaan 87 - BE-1070 Brussels TEL 0032 (0)2 414 07 77 FAX 0032 (0)2 414 04 98 bxl@vkgroup.be www.vkgroup.be

Contact Serge Cappon - Marketing Manager serge.c@vkgroup.be

Structure Management

Geert Devolder Technology Officer

Paul Corbeel C.E.O.

Dirk Slabbinck Technology Officer

Bernard Nef Senior Advisor Buildings

Belgian subsidiaries VK - Axxess Business Park, Gulden sporenpark, Building A n°4 BE-9820 Merelbeke (Ghent) VK - Zevenbergenlaan 2a - BE-8200 Brugge VK - Brugsesteenweg 210 - BE-8800 Roeselare

Plant/International Kazachstan - VK ASTANA Vietnam - VK Ho Chi Minh City

Company Number of staff: > 100 Year of foundation: 1952

Turnover

The new NATO HQ (Brussels)

Introduction

New

VK is a multi-disciplinary design and engineering company with 60 years of experience. VK has an extensive portfolio of work which is represented in four main markets: HEALTHCARE, BUILDINGS, INDUSTRY and INFRASTRUCTURE.

The use of CFD software, Fire engineering, energy engineering, acoustical engineering.

In our ‘learning organization’ we keep up with technological evolution. VK focuses on sustainable, ecoefficient and future-oriented design, with knowledge of business on rational use of energy, energy performance standards, energy reporting, ...

Being rewarded a ‘Green Good Design Award’ for the Renson head office (2002), Infrax (2010) and a ‘2020 challenge award’ for the Infrax low energy offices (2009), proves that VK is successful in implementing its sustainable approach in various projects.

VK has contributed to several challenging structural and technical engineering missions and large-scale projects with renowned architects: MG Tower (Ghent), The Capital Business Centre (Brussels), Zenith Tower (Brussels), the new NATO HQ (Brussels), extension of the European Parliament (Brussels), the new Law Courts of Antwerp, various projects for GlaxoSmithKline and Baxter, ... and was engaged as engineering office in 5 MIPIM award winners since 2000.

Services Civil & Structural Engineering: stability, concrete and steel studies, infrastructure, special construction procedures, VRD, etc.

MEP Engineering: HVAC, electricity, plumbing, electro-mechanics, fire prevention, technical building management, energy management, energy engineering, environmental audits, special systems (IT, telephone, etc.), etc.

References - clients Offices: Depaepe Group, All Fin, Atenor, Axa RE, B.P.I., Banimmo, AG Real Estate, ING Real Estate, Burco, CDP, Certimmo, CIB, Codic, Cofinimmo, Cogerimmo, Deloitte & Touch, Dexia Real Estate, Immomills, Infrax, JM Construction, Kairos, Robelco, Redevco, Renson, Sodiro,…

Retail: Wereldhave Belle-Ile (Liège), Fort-Jaco (Brussels), Wereldhave - Les Bastions (Doornik), ING RE- Ilot SaintMichel (Liège), Ring Shopping Center Kuurne, Woluwe Shopping Center, Redevco, etc.

Public buildings: Flemish Administrative Centre Leuven, National Theatre of Belgium, Forem La Louvière, Town hall Koksijde, Law Courts Antwerp, Concert Hall Brugge, Atomium, NATO HQ, etc.

Hotels: Hotel Metropole, Crown Plaza, Marriott, Ravestein, etc.

Industry: Amylum, Bekaert, Boortmalt, Cargill, Eurosilo, Ghent Grain Terminal, Kopal, Leievoeders, Pfizer Corporation, Picanol, Proferro, Rendac, Samga, ArcelorMittal, Sobelgra, Spanolux, Tailor Steel, TOP Bronnen, UCB, Vamo Mills, Vandemoortele, Vanden Avenne, Voeders Danis, Volkswagen, Glaxo Smithkline (Rixensart), Pfizer Corporation (Brussels), UCB (Eigenbrakel and Vorst), …

Hospitals: VinMec International Hospital (Vietnam), Pediatric Hospital Nha Thrang (Vietnam), General Hospital Sint-Maarten Mechelen, O.L. Vrouw Hospital (Aalst), H. Heart Hospital (Roeselare), Burns Unit Military Hospital (Neder-over-Heembeek), University Hospital Revalidation Centre Esneux, University Hospital (Leuven), Jan Yperman (Ieper), Public Welfare Hospital Roeselare, St-Jan Hospital (Brugge), etc.

2008: 21 612 903 euro 2009: 21 195 043 euro 2010: 22 381 928 euro BELGIUM REAL ESTATE SHOWCASE 2012 95

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COMPANY PROFILE

ZUMTOBEL LIGHTING NV/SA Rijksweg 47 - BE-2870 Puurs TEL 0032 (0)3 860 93 93 FAX 0032 (0)3 886 25 00 info@zumtobel.be www.zumtobel.be

Contact Jan Stoops Marketing Director Benelux TEL 0032 (0)3 860 93 93 jan.stoops@zumtobel.com

Structure Management Jozef Slaets Managing Director Jan Glazemaekers Financials and HR Wim Van Landeghem Sales Manager Belgium Bruno Branswyk Sales Manager The Netherlands Marc Closter Sales Manager Luxemburg

Company Number of staff: 78 Year of foundation: 1980

Introduction Corporate mission statement Zumtobel “We want to use light to create worlds of experience, make work easier and improve communications and safety while remaining fully aware of our responsibility to the environment.”

Zumtobel, a company of the Zumtobel Group, is an internationally leading supplier of integral lighting solutions for professional indoor and outdoor building lighting applications.

For more than 50 years, Zumtobel has been developing innovative, custom lighting solutions that meet extremely and environmental compatibility and also deliver aesthetic added value.

Products

Light creates a sense of well-being.

Zumtobel conducts research into the health-promoting effects of light and makes it ever easier to exploit these effects in order to provide people with the best possible lighting quality. Zumtobel’s applied research attaches particular importance to energy efficiency. Daylightbased lighting control and luminaires with higher light output ratios produce more light and brightness than standard solutions, assuming identical light sources are used.

Services Beside luminaires and lighting management, Zumtobel offers also for there products service contracts for lighting management systems and emergency lighting installations.

As an innovation leader, Zumtobel supplies an extensive range of premium luminaires and lighting control systems for various professional building lighting application areas: Offices and Communication, Education and Science, Presentation and Retail, Hotel and Wellness, Art and Culture, Health and Care, Industry and Engineering, Façades and architecture.

Zumtobel has an international customer presence thanks to its own sales organisations in 23 countries and commercial agencies in more than 50 other countries.

New

The emotional effect of light Zumtobel uses integral lighting solutions to create lighting scenes that make it possible to experience the interplay between light and architecture an all its diverse complexity. The combined use of luminaires, lighting management and emergency lighting systems is geared towards the architecture of a building and the particular application situation.

References - clients

The latest innovations from Zumtobel are all LED based developments: • Tecton LED is a pre-wired 11-pole continuous row lighting system for the industry, logistic centres and for the retail sector.

• Pylas, Ikono, Skena and Pan are LED products for façade lighting • Mellow Light V, Aero II LED, Light Fields LED, Eleea and Panos Infinity are LED products for the office and education applications

Belgium: Scania Parts Logistics (Opglabbeek), LU Biscuits (Herentals), Delhaize, Nike Logistics (Meerhout), KAM Building (Brugge), North Light (Brussels) The Netherlands: Scheepvaartmuseum (Amsterdam, Villa Flora (office) (Venlo), C1000, Deutsche Bank (Amsterdam), Hoogheemraadschap (Leiden)

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COMPANIES INDEX I Identify the partners and suppliers who meet your needs through consulting their company profiles

WWW.PRO-REALESTATE.BE/NETWORK I The directory of Pro-Realestate.be publishes the coordinates of : • key players in the real estate industry • suppliers who can advise end-users to perform in their investment, building and property management • suppliers who can assist developers in achieving their projects In the following pages you will find a selection of these companies.

They are classified according to their field of activities.

Connect to www.pro-realestate.be/network for the full listing and their coordinates.

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT

ATENOR GROUP see advertising on page 80

REAL ESTATE CONSULTANCY

BANIMMO

ALLTEN

BESIX RED

ANIXTON see advertising on page 100

www.pro-realestate.be/anixton

AREMIS see advertising on page 78

www.pro-realestate.be/aremis

www.pro-realestate.be/atenor

BOUYGUES IMMOBILIER BPC BREEVAST DEVELOPMENT BUELENS

BNP PARIBAS REAL ESTATE

BURCO

CBRE

CIP (CONSTRUCTION & INVESTMENT PARTNERS)

COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL

COBELFROI

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD

CODIC

DE CROMBRUGGHE AND PARTNERS see advertising on page 19

DE PAEPE GROUP EQUILIS

DTZ FREESTONE

EURO IMMO STAR www.profacility.be/freestone

EXTENSA GROUP

GVA GRIMLEY BRUSSELS

GHELAMCO GROUP

IMMOBILIEN HUGO CEUSTERS see advertising on page 2

GOODMAN

IMMOQUEST

GROUP MAES

JONES LANG LASALLE

HERPAIN URBIS

KEY ESTATE

IMMOBEL

KING BELGIUM

INTERVEST OFFICES

KNIGHT FRANK

JCX GESTION

STRUCTURA BUSINESS PROPERTY

KAIROS

GROUP BERNAERTS

KBC REAL ESTATE

LEGAL AND FISCAL ADVISORY

LEASINVEST REAL ESTATE

ALLEN AND OVERY

MATEXI

ALTIUS | TIBERGHIEN

MONTEA

BAKER & MCKENZIE

NEXITY

CMS DEBACKER

PROJECT T&T

CRAWFORD

PROWINKO

DELOITTE REAL ESTATE

PYLOS BENELUX

ERNST AND YOUNG

REDEVCO RETAIL

HAUMONT,SCHOLASSE & PARTNERS KPMG

ROBELCO GROUP www.pro-realestate.be/KPMG

SOPEDI

LAGA

UPLACE

LINKLATERS

VAN DE WALLE BOUWGROEP

LYDIAN LAWYERS

VERELST INDUSTRIEBOUW

STIBBE

VICTOIRE PROPERTIES

VERCRUYSSE & KADANER

VIRIX

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS

www.pro-realestate.be/pylos

WILHELM & CO

AG REAL ESTATE

WILLY NAESSENS INDUSTRIEBOUW see advertising on page 23

ALLFIN

WILMA PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

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COMPANIES INDEX I

WWW.PRO-REALESTATE.BE/NETWORK I

LOCAL AND PUBLIC AUTHORITIES GROUND USE AND INVESTMENT ASSISTANCE

RYCKAERTS & PARTNERS

ADT /ATO (Agence pour le développement territorial de Bruxelles)

SAQ

BRUSSELS ENTREPRISE AGENCY

SYNTAXE ARCHITECTES

AG STADSPLANNING ANTWERPEN

VANDERBRUGGEN ARCHITECTENBUREAU

AG STADSONTWIKKELINGSBEDRIJF GENT

VIZZION ARCHITECTS

AG VESPA ANTWERPEN

VK

SAMYN AND PARTNERS

AWEX BELGIAN BUILDINGS AGENCY see advertising on page 82

www.pro-realestate.be/bba

CONSTRUCTION – CONSULTANCY AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT ACMG CONSTRUCT CONSULTANT

BEP (Bureau Economique de la Province de Namur) BRUSSELS EXPORT

AREMIS see advertising on page 78

BRUSSELS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (BRDA) see advertising on page 35 & 92 www.pro-realestate.be/sdrb

AT OSBORNE

ERIGES

BOPRO REAL ESTATE SERVICES

FLANDERS INVESTMENT TRADE

PROBAM

IDEA

NEXITY

IDELUX

VK ENGINEERING

IDETA

WAREHOUSES ESTATES BELGIUM

IGRETEC

WIDNELL EUROPE

www.pro-realestate.be/aremis

B4F - BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

www.pro-realestate.be/vk

KORTRIJK LEIEDAL MEUSINVEST

ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY

POM OOST-VLAANDEREN (Development Agency East Flanders)

ABT

SPI

ARCADIS B SOLUTIONS

ARCHITECTS

INGENIUM

A2RC ARCHITECTS

MARCQ & ROBA

ACCARAIN & BOUILLOT

SETESCO

ALTIPLAN° ARCHITECTS

SOPHIA GROUP

ARCHI 2000

TPF ENGINEERING

ARCHITECTES ASSOCIES

TRACTEBEL ENGINEERING (GDF ZUEZ)

ARCHITECTUURBUREAU LOWETTE

VK ENGINEERING

ARCHITEKTENBURO STORME VAN RANST

WATERMAN TCA

www.profacility.be/ingenium

www.pro-realestate.be/vk

ART & BUILD ARCHITECTS ARTE POLIS

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION OF BUILDINGS

ASSAR ARCHITECTS

BREEAM

ATELIER D'ARCHITECTURE DE GENVAL

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE (B4F)

ATELIER DU SART TILMAN

HQE

ATELIER DE L'ARBRE D'OR

INGENIUM

ATELIER XV

SECO

BUREAU D'ARCHITECTURE EMILE VERHAEGHEN

SOPHIA GROUP

BURO 5

VALIDEO

BURO II - ARCHI+I

VINCOTTE

CERAU

VK ENGINEERING

www.profacility.be/ingenium

www.pro-realestate.be/vk

CHAPMAN TAYLOR BENELUX CONIX ARCHITECTS

REAL ESTATE - HR RECRUITMENT - PROJECT SOURCING

CREPAIN-BINST ARCHITECTURE

SERVICE A

DDS & PARTNERS ARCHITECTS

FREESTONE

www.pro-realestate.be/service-a www.profacility.be/freestone

DSW ARCHITECTS ELD PARTNERSHIP

FEDERATIONS - RESEARCH

JASPERS - EYERS ARCHITECTS

EPRA

KONIOR & PARTNERS ARCHITECTS

RES

MDW ARCHITECTURE

RICS BELUX

MONTOIS PARTNERS ARCHITECTS POLO ARCHITECTS PROJECT²

UEPC www.pro-realestate.be/polo-architects

ULI EUROPE UPSI -BVS

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PROPERTY, BUILDINGS & FACILITY MANAGEMENT

COFELY SERVICES DALKIA

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

FABRICOM

AG REAL ESTATE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

IMTECH MAINTENANCE

BELGIAN BUILDINGS AGENCY see advertising on page 82 CAMELOT

www.pro-realestate.be/bba www.pro-realestate.be/camelot

JOHNSON CONTROLS SODEXO SOPHIA GROUP

COFINIMMO

SPIE BELGIUM

DEVIMMO

T.E.M

ENTRAKT

VINCI FACILITIES

FREESTONE

www.profacility.be/vinci

www.profacility.be/freestone

GLOBAL PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

BUILDING AUTOMATION

INTERIM VASTGOEDBEHEER

BECKHOFF AUTOMATION

QUARES PROPERTY & FACILITY MANAGEMENT

PRIVA BUILDING INTELLIGENCE

SOGESMAINT

RISCO GROUP BENELUX SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

EDUCATION IN REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT

SIEMENS BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES

K.U.LEUVEN CAMPUS KORTRIJK

ZUMTOBEL LIGHTING

www.pro-realestate.be/zumtobel

UNIVERSITEIT ANTWERPEN MANAGEMENT SCHOOL (UAMS)

COLD CEILING SYSTEM

SOLVAY BUSINESS SCHOOL

BEDDELEEM

RELOCATION ANIXTON see advertising on page 100 AOS BELGIUM

www.pro-realestate.be/beddeleem

INTERALU www.pro-realestate.be/anixton

ACCESS CONTROL - INSTALLERS www.profacility.be/aos-studley

AMANO ELECTRONICS EUROPE AUTOMATIC SYSTEMS

DE CROMBRUGGHE AND PARTNERS see advertising on page 19

GET

L.O.G

www.pro-realestate.be/log

PROCOS GROUP

www.profacility.be/procos

TRAJECT

www.profacility.be/traject

PROTIME RISCO GROUP BENELUX

SECURITY INTEGRATED FACILITY MANAGEMENT

CAMELOT

ATALIAN EUREST SERVICES FACILICOM

www.profacility.be/atalian

FACT SECURITY

www.profacility.be/eurest

G4S

www.profacility.be/facilicom

ISS

www.profacility.be/iss

www.pro-realestate.be/camelot

SECURITAS SERIS SECURITY

www.profacility.be/seris

TRIGION SECURITY

JOHNSON CONTROLS SODEXO

www.profacility.be/sodexo

VINCI FACILITIES

www.profacility.be/vinci

MOVERS ARTHUR PIERRE

www.profacility.be/alliedarthur

SOURCING STRATEGY -CONSULTANCY

DOCKX MOVERS

ALMA CONSULTING GROUP BELGIUM

MOZER GROUP see advertising on page 73

www.profacility.be/mozer

POTIEZ-DEMAN

www.profacility.be/potiez

EUROPEAN & BELGIAN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

REAL ESTATE & FACILITY INFORMATION SYSTEMS (FMIS) AREMIS see advertising on page 78

www.pro-realestate.be/aremis

AOS BELGIUM

www.profacility.be/aos-studley

PLANON PROCOS GROUP

www.profacility.be/procos

ULTIMO BELGIUM

www.profacility.be/ultimo

TOP DESK

TER BEEK YOUR MOVER VANDERGOTEN

www.profacility.be/vandergoten

ZIEGLER see advertising on page 59

FEDERATION BEMAS (BELGIAN MAINTENANCE ASSOCATION) IFMA BELGIAN CHAPTER see advertising on page 88

www.pro-realestate.be/ifma

VIB

BUILDING TECHNICAL MAINTENANCE ( MAINCONTRACTING) CEGELEC

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WE ARE ALWAYS STRIVING TO DO MORE FOR OUR CLIENTS. AND THEY APPRECIATE THAT !

de Ligne :

Global Strategy (Brussels, 40.000 m²)

Baker & McKenzie :

Hôpital Erasme - ULB :

Investment Advice (Brussels, 110.000 m²)

Century Center :

Waterside :

Letting & Investment (Brussels, 12.000 m²)

Realex :

“Stay or Move?” (Brussels, 4.800 m²)

Investment Advice (Antwerpen, 30.000 m²)

Investment Advice (Brussels, 30.000 m²)

RTBF (Reyers) :

Tervuren Plaza :

Drapiers :

Real Estate Strategy (Brussels, 80.000 m²)

Investment Advice (Brussels, 11.000 m²)

Letting & Investment (Brussels, 9.000 m²)

OUR REFERENCES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES… The past year, our customers have particularly valued our personalized services with an added value and our pragmatic approach. Anixton, an independent corporate real estate consultancy firm, has continuously expanded and strengthened its position on the Belgian market. And the year 2012 starts off well, with new opportunities that make us want to go even further.

Thank you for your confidence and let’s meet up soon!

Contact us : +32 2 721 99 19 | info@anixton.com | www.anixton.com

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Corporate Real Estate Solutions

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