Cala, Liège

This major renovation was carried out on a building dating from the 1990s, formerly known as the « Assurances Liégeoises ». The project involved a real overhaul of the facilities, both from an architectural and aesthetic point of view and from a technical and acoustic point of view, with the aim of achieving exemplary environmental performance (BREEAM « Very good » equivalent).

Once the concrete framework was completely exposed, new facades were applied onto the structure. This new outer shell is highly energy efficient, thanks to the care taken with waterproofing and thermal insulation as well as with the installation of solar protection to avoid overheating. The play created by the design and spacing of these aluminium louvres has given the building its contemporary look. The new technical installations are also much less energy consuming than the previous ones and allow the building to meet today’s much more demanding standards. The need for convivial and comfortable spaces also motivated the reorganization of the distribution and partitioning of the office floors and reception areas, adapting the interior design to a more contemporary vision of office work.

The refurbishment was carried out as a complex operation, where construction and occupation took place simultaneously, in good understanding and joint respect. Particular attention was therefore paid to fire safety, noise pollution, communication between the site team and the occupants, as well as maintaining user comfort by keeping older technical installations working or installing new equipment when needed.