13 June 2018

50 years Ingenium - An unusual 50 years – to say the least! – with sustainability and innovation at the forefront

50 years Ingenium - An unusual 50 years – to say the least! – with sustainability and innovation at the forefront

Ingenium was founded in Bruges in 1968 by Herwig R. Vyncke. Jef Leye - whom he had met during the construction of the AZ Sint-Jan - soon became his partner. From the very beginning, the design office focused on everything that brings a building to life: electricity, heating, ventilation, sanitary facilities, lifts, security and communication.

"We are obsessed with sustainability and innovation," says Nicolas Vyncke, the current CEO and son of the founder. "Making the world a better place is our mission. We therefore advise our clients to think in terms of the future and to take the sustainability of their building one step further than the law requires today. The result is CO2-neutral and even energy-positive buildings that are completely disconnected from the natural gas grid. The use of renewable materials also makes a contribution.

Over the past decades, Ingenium has grown into a group of companies with 90 employees operating from Bruges, Ghent, Leuven and Antwerp. "Since 2 years ago we also have 2 sister companies," continues Nicolas Vyncke. "Industrium focuses on industry and retail and Electrium analyses large energy networks. Recent 'no antlers' projects in which we have participated include the architectural eye-catchers AZ Zeno in Knokke-Heist and the Antwerp Port House, and Lidl's first CO2-neutral supermarket in Ixelles.

Engineering work is human work for Ingenium. "Of course we use computers with high-performance software to make complex calculations, but for us the technology is not a goal in itself. The technical installations must always be designed so cleverly and user-friendly that the user of a building can work or live there in a safe, comfortable, pleasant and sustainable way".