Building campus 2.0 in Diepenbeek kicks off with striking parking building

The design for the new Bouwcampus parking building in Diepenbeek has been announced. POM Limburg selected the concept by partners Democo, Debuild and Jaspers-Eyers Architects. The car park offers space for 350 cars, but can later be extended to 500 spaces. The extension is done in height, on top of the existing car park. This way, the building does not take up any extra space.

The Construction Campus is - alongside the Health Campus - one of the two large themed campuses being developed by POM Limburg on the new campus in Diepenbeek. The campus is to become the hub of innovation in construction, and will be built as sustainably as possible. Commissioner for Economy and chairman of POM Limburg Tom Vandeput: "The Construction Campus is all about experiments and innovative ideas in construction. With this new parking building, we are putting our money where our mouth is and building in a modular way. The construction team is working with a digital BIM model (Building Information Model), which only facilitates that modular process. For instance, in the first phase, we foresee 350 parking spaces, but may expand this number to 500. Furthermore, the building consists of higher ceilings than standard car parks, and a central ramp, which can be removed again. So the parking building can perfectly change its functionality in the future."

Minimum footprint
On the Construction Campus, POM Limburg applies the principle of densification. As much as possible is done in height, on the existing paving. For example, the new parking building will be placed on top of the current car park. Tom Vandeput: "We are opting for the most efficient parking possible, with a minimal footprint. The building consists of four floors with about 80 parking spaces each. A fifth floor may be added in the future. By working in height, we keep space free for greenery and other future developments. We are also providing solar panels so that the building can provide its own energy." The ambition is to occupy the building in spring 2024.

Car-free campus
The new parking building is an important first step in the realisation of a car-free campus. Tom Vandeput: "We are encouraging campus residents to leave their cars at the edge of the campus, and then travel further on foot or by bike. Over time, we are working towards a 'modal shift', encouraging other means of transport in particular. In 2023, we will construct a number of slow links that will connect this car park with the rest of the campus. For example, we will then create car-free roads to the Health Campus, to the campus heart at UHasselt and towards Hogeschool PXL."