BAM Belgium wins 2 RES awards

Egied Van Broeckhoven School, ZIN in NORTH and CityGate I-Marchandises win RES Awards 2024

Feb. 20, 2025

The best Belgian real estate projects of 2024 were awarded tonight at the seventh edition of the Real Estate Society (RES) Awards. The Oscars of our real estate sector prove once again that even in difficult and complex times, there is plenty of dreaming, designing and building at the very highest level. Big winners this year are the Egied Van Broeckhoven School in Molenbeek, ZIN in NORTH and CityGate I-Marchandises, both in Brussels. "We can be proud of the level of real estate we are achieving throughout our country", says Frederik Lesire, president of the jury.

The RES awards 2024 were presented in Antwerp and at the Handelsbeurs, itself a 2020 laureate. The awards honor exceptional Belgian construction projects in three sectors: residential real estate, (semi-)public real estate and commercial real estate.

Over the past few months, more than forty real estate developers and architects from all corners of the country submitted their most eye-catching projects of the past year to compete for one of Belgium's coveted real estate Oscars. This is an initiative of the Real Estate Society, the association of the real estate alumni of the Antwerp Management School (AMS).

"Every year we receive about 40 projects that compete for a spot among the 9 nominees. These are already winners in our eyes. We can really be proud of the level we achieve in our country. The diversity among the final winners is so great that you cannot simply summarize in one sentence what these projects have in common. Except that they are excellent. The RES awards are primarily the crowning of outstanding collaborations in what are surely difficult times in real estate. In times of crisis, we need more and more good partnerships." FrederikLesire, chairman of the jury

A jury of 12 experts and prominent figures finally designated the three victorious projects. They were Peter Vanden Abeele (master builder of Ghent), Kristiaan Borret (master builder of Brussels), Serge Fautré (honorary chairman UPSI-BVS), Ingrid Ceusters (Women on Board), Ann Verhetsel (professor MRE at Antwerp Management School), Erik Wieërs (master builder of Flanders), Myriam Heuvelman (board member of ULI), Jozef Hessel (board member of NAV), Christophe Van Ophem (vice president of adeb/vba), Sunita Van Heers (member of Le Cercle Belge des Femmes de l'Immobilier) and Françoise Roels (founding member of Women on Board). Jury president was again Frederik Lesire, honorary president of RES.

"The composition of the jury is crucial and consists of diverse profiles who are each leaders in their fields. After all, who doesn't want to be honored by professionals from their own sector? We are also careful to ensure that jurors who have a strong link to one of the projects do not vote in the relevant category."
Frederik Lesire, president of the jury

The winners and nominees:

(SEMI-)PUBLIC REAL ESTATE

In the '(semi-)public real estate' category, the jury looked for new developments started by or in cooperation with public authorities that generate a positive vibe in an entire community and neighborhood. The winner in this category is the Egied Van Broeckhoven School in Molenbeek.

In the multicultural neighborhood around the West Station in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, in the buildings of the former Vandenheuvel brewery, the Egied Van Broeckhoven School opened in September 2024. The brand new school can accommodate 860 pupils. Apart from education, the school is also an important social project and, in its own words, the school group Vzw Ignatius Scholen in Beweging "wants to be part of the engine of positive change and welcome local associations and make them partners". The construction of the school was realized within the Flemish Government's DBFM procedure, making it the first of some 40 school projects to be completed and operational. The project was realized in about two years. B2Ai architects was in charge of design and interior design, VK architects + engineers was responsible for stability and engineering. Stefaan Thiers was landscape architect on duty.

"The jury appreciates the school's drive to be an added value for the entire neighborhood. Not only the urban planning and architectural solutions are appreciated, but also socially this is an incredibly clever initiative in a difficult neighborhood in Molenbeek." Frederik Lesire, president of the jury

The Egied Van Broeckhoven School in Molenbeek is the laureate in the '(Semi-)public Real Estate' category.

KU Leuven's Opera campus in Antwerp and De Groene Ark in Meise Botanical Garden were also nominated

KU Leuven opened a new branch in Antwerp's Jezusstraat: Campus Opera. In doing so, the university and B-architects breathed new life into the iconic building that served for decades as the Provincial Safety Institute. Alphastone was in charge of the structural work.

The Green Ark in Meise's famous Botanical Garden is a project by NU architecture studio and Archipelago Architects. It is a huge complex of 7,600 square meters and consists of 22 greenhouses of 4, 6 or 10 meters high. With the Green Ark, Meise Botanical Garden is creating a place to preserve and research endangered species.

Sint Jans Molenbeek Egied Van Broeckhoven School

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY

In this category, the jury rewards new developments that offer the best housing in the broadest sense - from apartments and detached houses to student cottages and service flats - and that embrace originality, innovation and aesthetics. CityGate I - Marchandises in Brussels is the grand winner.

Developed by Kairos and citydev.brussels, CityGate I-Marchandises combines housing with flexible spaces for commercial purposes and offices, along with a new private road along the railroad. It features community gardens and a green courtyard. Three architectural firms - A2M, ORG and Urban Platform - designed different parts of the development. They are brought together by a shared concrete brick grid. Each section has its own identity, incorporating wood, plaster or corrugated metal into the facades. The different functions within the building promote an active communal environment, adding value to each space.

"We are elated by the initiative of city.dev and the government to allow low-to-moderate incomes to purchase their own homes in upscale Brussels. There is not only room to live in CityGate I-Marchandises, but also the manufacturing industry. And that in a flexible way: the studios can easily be converted into housing, depending on the needs." Frederik Lesire, president of the jury

CityGate I - Marchandises in Brussels is the winner in the "Residential Real Estate" category.

Broydenborg of Zorgbedrijf Antwerpen in Hoboken and Arboreto in Tervuren were also nominated

More than 60 assisted living units and a new community center were placed with the Broydenborg project by Zorgbedrijf Antwerpen in the heart of an existing building block in Antwerp's Hoboken district. The former industrial sawmill was demolished for this purpose. Architects on duty were Archipelago and NU Architectuuratelier.

Arboreto from Brussels-based BPI Real Estate then found solid ground on the former GITO school complex in the center of Tervuren. The high-quality residential project includes a collective garden and is sustainably embedded in its green surroundings. Arboreto was designed by HUB and WITH20.

"The RES AWARDS are a real estate award, but real estate today is about much more than a handsome building and a healthy budget. It's also about societal added value. And that is evident in the selection of each project."
Frederik Lesire, chairman of the jury

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

The commercial real estate category rewards excellence in commercial real estate (B2B) developments such as office space, industrial real estate, distribution centers, warehouses, leisure and retail properties and recognizes innovation and creativity, community and environmental awareness. Winner is ZIN in NORTH in Brussels.

The ZIN project by Befimmo and architects Jaspers Eyers Architects, 51N4E and l'AUC aimed to transform towers 1 and 2 of the WTC complex in the north of Brussels. ZIN pioneered the use of circular concrete that could be reused after the demolition of the former WTC towers. The project features a lush roof garden and a public conservatory that enhance biodiversity and provide tranquility in the busy city. ZIN combines living, working and life.

"We particularly admire the so-called lasagna construction of ZIN in NORTH. Not every function is together in one and the same block, but work is done in layers. So we see a layer of 'hotel,' 'office,' 'hotel,' 'apartment,' ... and so on. This unique and less conventional way of arranging a building is certainly appreciated by the jury."
Frederik Lesire, chairman of the jury

The ZIN in NORTH project in Brussels wins in the Commercial Real Estate category.

Both Polytoren and VIB Bio Incubator in Zwijnaarde were nominated

In Tech Lane Ghent Science Park, the new headquarters of the Flemish Institute of Biotechnology has been rising together with its bio-incubator since January 2024. The highly inviting construction, designed by architectural firms BEEL and MODULO, consists of nine floors and forms an anchor point in the passing landscape, while at the same time acting as a buffer between the highway and the campus.

A stone's throw away we find the Polytower, a former factory tower that has been reborn as a future-oriented, versatile office building paying homage to the past. The old structure serves as a springboard to modern architecture, with additions such as two penthouse floors and an outdoor staircase redefining the industrial atmosphere. The Polytoren was designed by architect 'POLO. Platform'. Developer is Ghent-based Alinso.

Opening of Kasterlinden

Inauguration of the Deleers SME park

Inauguration of Frame