Residential towers Heldentoren

Project Support I Collaboration
Technical advice I EPB & Safety coordination

Construction of a three-part building complex on Heldenplein in Heist with two residential towers: one of twenty floors and one of seven, both with shops on the ground floor. A third, smaller building will have a catering destination. An underground parking garage connects the three with each other. With its sixty-seven meters, the Heldentower becomes one of the highest towers on the Belgian coast.

Urban development plan
This project is part of the urban development plan "Reorganization Entrance of Heist" which consists of the redevelopment of the Heldenplein with the construction of an underground car park, the redevelopment of the Vissershuldeplein, and the conversion of the Elizabetlaan into a pleasant pedestrian boulevard. The Heldentower will form an architectural beacon that connects, reinforces the local identity and attracts new investments.

BIM
For the Heldentoren in Knokke, Bureau Bouwtechniek modeled the BIM model architecture. The BIM stability model was prepared by stability agency Stedec, the BIM model techniques by Boydens.
Four sub-models were modeled for the discipline of architecture: a high-rise building, a medium-high-rise building, a low-rise building and an underground parking lot.

• The high-rise, a tower of 67 m high with 19 floors, has 37 apartments. 
• The total gross floor area of all buildings is 8112 m². 
• The two-layer parking space covers a total of 5030 m². 
• The buildings have a special footprint. 
• The many curved elements in the project were an extra challenge in modeling. 
• 19.564 elements were automatically measured in the BIM model. 

Façade advice
The coastal climate is an aggressive environment in terms of weather conditions and influence factors such as chlorides. Under advice and guidance of BB, a wind tunnel analysis is carried out to include the effects of wind loads in the project. The results are translated into the technical properties of the facade.

Besides the wind load, the coastal environment also influences the material choices, placement and detailing of the facade. All constituent parts are examined in that light and integrated into the whole.

Bureau Bouwtechniek 
BB is responsible for the complete technical support of the architect and the technical assistance during the design process, the preparation of the execution plans, the elaboration of technical details, the preparation of the architectural specifications and the estimate. BB supervises the execution.

Bureau Bouwtechniek is also EPB reporter and safety coordinator.

Team BB: ir. arch. Elien Coppitters, ir. arch. Thijs Verfaillie, ing. Julie Huybrighs, ir. arch. Thomas Cantraine, ir. arch. Jona Van Steenkiste