A HUB WHere innovators explore the solutions of tomorrow
In the city of Vilvoorde, Belgium, Frank Beliën, Founder and Chair of Living Tomorrow, and his team are helping make tomorrow possible, today.
The research organization – one of the largest innovation centers in Europe – cultivates an environment where new ideas, disruptive solutions and open innovation ecosystems can thrive. Here, innovators come together to solve the world’s most pressing challenges and work towards a brighter future.
Living Tomorrow’s first campus or “House of the Future” was built in 1995. In 2023, the organization opened its new, sustainable Innovation Campus, built with Holcim’s ECOPact low-carbon concrete and Hydromedia permeable concrete. By using our sustainable building solutions, the organization will be able to carry out its vital work for years to come.
FORM AND FUNCTION ALIGN
The smart features embedded in the Living Tomorrow campus and the emphasis on climate resilience point the way towards the design of the future. The new and improved site can now better serve as a site of creativity, innovation, and future-focused thinking.
Thanks to Holcim’s ECOPact and Hydromedia concrete, the construction of the campus minimized carbon emissions and improved durability and resilience. With our sustainable building solutions, we are committed to future-proofing today’s projects to ensure they can flourish tomorrow.
Environmental impact at the core
As a building of the future, sustainability was woven into the fabric of the Innovation Campus. ECOPact reduced carbon emissions by more than half compared to standard concrete.
Belgium experiences high rainfall, so water management systems are of the utmost importance. The parking lot uses Hydromedia to reduce the risk of flooding and improve the campus’ climate resilience.
The technology of tomorrow
The Living Tomorrow campus is a leading example of future-oriented design, featuring robots that deliver food and entertain guests, as well as innovative and sustainable building solutions including ECOPact and Hydromedia.
The cutting-edge campus also uses smart building systems like digital twins to monitor and optimize energy performance, improving efficiency and decreasing operational emissions. Using these systems sets this project apart in terms of forward-thinking design and technology.
Innovative low-carbon solutions
ECOPact is Holcim’s extensive range of low-carbon concrete. It provides emissions reductions of at least 30% without compromising on performance.
Hydromedia is a water management system that rapidly absorbs rain water off streets, parking surfaces, driveways and walkways – reducing the risk of flooding. This permeable solution combines the properties of concrete and advanced drainage technology.
