Dialoog

Wijgmaal station building to become office and meeting area

The abandoned Wijgmaal station gets a new destination. The City of Leuven signed an agreement with Dialoog vzw to redevelop the railway ruin into office space and a meeting place for the neighbourhood. Within the framework that defines heritage, acoustic and building physics requirements as well as budgetary restrictions, Dialoog vzw tests each choice against the principles of circular construction and optimises where possible. As an independent non-profit association that provides information about sustainable building, renovation and living, Dialoog places change-oriented building and renovation and a low environmental cost as fully-fledged pillars alongside an ambitious energy performance.

Within the renovation of the station building, Dialoog limits the demand for primary raw materials by reusing its own demolition material.

The non-profit association is investigating
- whether and how they can reuse the bricks,
- How they should organise the construction phase (demolition, cleaning, storage, certification),
- how to include this in the specifications,
- how to place and finish the bricks in a dismountable manner.

With this renovation, Dialoog wants to stimulate sustainable building by setting an example. The historic building will retain its appearance and contain an exhibition area. "We want to share the experiences we gain with other renovators. We also want to experiment with new techniques within the circular economy such as modular construction and renting products so that they remain the property of the producer, with a greater chance of a longer life span."
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