AZ Zeno Knokke

The temporary association AAPROG - BOECKX. - BURO II & ARCHI I won in 2007 the ambitious competition of vzw Gezondheidszorg Oostkust for a new hospital in Knokke-Heist on the Belgian coast. Ten years later, this futuristic building is to be built: it will be operational in the summer of 2017.

The grounds where the hospital will be built, extend to 20 hectares. The new health care facility contains a hospital, a rehabilitation centre, a care hotel, an outpatients’ clinic, lecture halls, public events spaces and a helipad. The challenges and ambitions of the new hospital range from being highly functional and future-oriented to sustainable and in any case, conserve the rural character of the environment.

The new hospital, inspired on the works of René Magritte, seemingly levitates above the landscape and is dominated by nature and light as far as the rooms below the ground floor. The transition between outside and inside, between the care facilities and the public spaces is almost seamless resulting in an inviting and inspiring context of care. The design is a striking example of “living architecture”: sustainable design and construction with a special eye for integration in the natural landscape, ecological energy and materials used.

The particular approach from a true multi-disciplinary team means a break with the traditional approach in architecture and established a precedent in open consideration and collaboration at every level: from concept and design, planning, constructing to occupation and future evolution. The design team achieved a true breakthrough away from the tradition of hospitals as functional boxes with sterile spaces and instead focused on harmonising medical functions, personal relief and comfort and social interaction.

A clear choice has been made to use sustainable and energy saving measures, without compromising on the high comfort requirements. Among other things a biomass boiler, cogeneration and borehole energy storage contribute to sustainable energy generation. Ingenium is responsible for the study of the complete technical equipment of the building, and also for the commissioning in the new hospital. For this in-depth tests are carried out that exceed those of a normal delivery. Special attention is also paid to the operation and interaction of the installations, technical and structural, after commissioning., as to the maintenance contracts of the different technical installations.