The construction sector in Europe is responsible for approximately 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, 50 per cent of energy consumption, 30 per cent of water consumption and 50 per cent of material flows. The figures are well known, as is the solution: we must make the transition to a circular construction culture. This means, first and foremost, avoiding new construction as much as possible and repurposing existing buildings, and secondly, reusing materials as much as possible and/or using reusable, renewable or recycled materials. That is the theory, but practice is not keeping pace. That is why a project such as Hi! in Grimbergen is so important. It is the first project in this country to put circular principles into practice on a large scale and, moreover, to succeed in combining them with a strong identity and new aesthetics.

What preceded it… A project developer purchased the abandoned Douwe Egberts factory in Grimbergen with the initial idea of demolishing the buildings and constructing a new SME zone. The Department of Environment appointed Plusoffice architects to investigate alternative scenarios and mediate between the interests of the developer, the municipality and the province. During this process, ideas matured and the concept for Hi! was born: a mixed-use site with offices, industry and recreation that fully embraces reuse, circularity, softening and ecological restoration.