UGent - VIB research building

The VIB and UGent are joining forces for the construction of a new research building.

Ghent University and the VIB (Flemish Institute for Biotechnology) wish to join forces to develop an open plot on the Ardoyen campus:

• There is currently a lack of space. The group has grown considerably in recent years and will continue to expand in the future.
• The infrastructure is no longer suitable for high-tech research. 
• The location is isolated.

That is why a new building is necessary. In this way, many VIB researches will be collected on 1 campus, which is conducive to the interaction between the research groups.

The new building will comprise approximately 16,000 m² with the following components:

• Offices and conference rooms
• Laboratories and research rooms
• L2 and L3 laboratories
• Greenhouses and plant growth chambers
• Animalarium
• A3 laboratories
• Restaurant
• Parking area

Ingenium is responsible for the design of the technical installations and the follow-up of the construction site. Besides the classical techniques HVAC, plumbing, electricity and special gases, the equipment also includes specific installations concerning over/underpressure and HEPA filtration in the laboratories, L3/A3 rooms, extra filtration of the drains, pure water installation and a steam installation for production and distribution of steam for autoclaves and air groups.

Both in design and execution, the entire map of the BIM methodology is drawn, with all parties working three-dimensionally in one single model. The virtual design models are further evolved into as-built models during execution, whereby Ingenium supervises this coordination assignment, resulting in a project in which all plots of land are closely coordinated with each other in order to promote the execution itself.

In addition to supervising the coordination assignment, Ingenium also carries out a number of CAD assignments, in which the design models are further adapted with the help of the REVIT CAD software and evolved into execution and as-built models.