Belgium, Brussels

The Hive

An example of circular renovation

In the summer of 2023, BESIX has been awarded the contract for the renovation of the 60,100 m² office building ‘the Hive’ owned by BNP Paribas Fortis and located in the centre of Brussels. The project implies the full renovation and rehabilitation of the building, with a comprehensive material circularity approach and the ‘Early Contractor Involvement’ concept.

BESIX is in charge of all renovation works, from asbestos removal to the transformation of the existing building composed of thirteen floors (five underground levels with a total of 31,300 m², a ground floor, and seven upper floors, totalling 28,800 m²). Next to bringing more daylight into the building and refurbishing the technical installations, the main objective of the renovation is to significantly reduce the building’s environmental footprint.

The renovation works will comply with new provisions with regards to circularity in the context of the conservation of Brussels heritage. Different sorts of materials present in the existing building will be re-used in the renovation, such as marble plates. These will be dismantled and stored before being given a new life in the renovated building. Certain technical elements will also be recuperated, revised, and reinstalled in the building, like generator sets. Other elements, such as carpeting, partitions, or tiles will be the source of materials for other building sites, whether for private projects or subcontractors. This circular renovation approach substantially reduces waste and is the result of a thorough preliminary study of material life cycle and flow.

BESIX is excited to collaborate once more with BNP Paribas Fortis to help develop their ambitions on the sustainability aspect. The choice of materials for The Hive was based on circularity, circular economy, urban mining, and life cycle analysis.