Bart Sueters

Assignment: The end project was to design a high-quality business park on the former mine site at Waterschei (Genk). Characterizations dealing with the construction of a high-quality business environment in this area are originality and homogeneity within design, realization and creating a representative space. An interpretation which shows clearly the context of the existing area was needed in addition. The business park is a representation of the existing surroundings and anticipates on its individual characters. Within the cluster Science Park there is also space for a new element, an `important’ building. This forms the starting point up to the rest of the new business-science park.
Design: Because the science park will mainly focus to the electronic-industry, and nanotechnology is one of the most promising technologies for the future, the new building was chosen to house a research centre specifically focused on nanotechnology. A number of specific characterizations of nanotechnology make the technology interesting for science and businesses. Nanotechnology characterizes itself by bringing together several work fields. The interdisciplinary character of nanotechnology is favorable for all kinds of innovative processes. Therefore it was very important to approach the science building from this point of view.
Concept: This way several initiatives have been set up, which joins universities, research institutions and business companies to reach (more efficient) innovation and spread risk (enormously investments without guarantee to result). The architectural concept has arisen as a response to these characterizations. Flexibility to the content (office spaces and Clean-rooms) incorporated by the application of ambiguous routing. Two parallel circulation routes, one for the offices and another for the clean-rooms, so that the facilities can be used separately but joined by several organizations in the same time.

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