The Grand is candidate for the Belgian BIM Award 2024

Heritage conservation

At The Grand, we were faced with the complexity of integrating a building element to be preserved. In this case, it was the restoration of the historic façade. We see this challenge more and more often, not only in heritage conservation projects, but also in redevelopment projects of existing buildings.

For The Grand, we built a BIM model based on a point cloud of the façade. This model formed the basis around which the new structure was designed. Crucial to this was a thorough analysis of the existing situation, deriving the primary axes of the building. In addition, we produced detailed 2D façade plans to accurately capture all the nuances of the existing condition.

Sustainable construction with BIM

BIM made an essential contribution to the sustainability of ‘The Grand’. It enabled the project team to work more efficiently, save resources, and implement energy-efficient solutions, resulting in a more sustainable and future-proof building.

The impact of BIM on the project's sustainability can be summarised as follows:

• Better design insights: BIM improves design adaptability by making the impact of demolition or preservation of existing structures visible through a detailed 3D model, reducing failure costs and promoting sustainable choices.
• Digital Twin and Urban Mining: BIM facilitates urban mining and targeted building management and maintenance, contributing to energy management and reducing waste.
• Optimisation of material use: BIM accurately determines the quantities of material required, resulting in more efficient use, less waste and lower environmental impact.
• Increasing user comfort: BIM checks the design for clear heights and surfaces, and pays extra attention to stairs and fire compartments, increasing safety and comfort.
• Improved thermal performance and energy management: BIM supports thermal performance control and optimises thermal insulation, resulting in energy savings and a smaller ecological footprint.
• Collaboration and cost savings: BIM promotes collaboration between partners, leading to sustainable and efficient solutions and a 20-30% reduction in construction waste.
• Prefab and modular construction techniques: BIM enables prefabricated and modular construction methods, generating less waste and energy consumption, and 20-30% energy savings.