The brand-new Building G.W on Campus Groenenborger was officially opened on 14 October. Behind the facade lies a future-oriented building where innovation, sustainability and safety come together. The new chemistry laboratories housed here are taking sustainable chemistry research to the next level. Prof. Vera Meynen, chair of the Department of Chemistry, and Herman Van Looveren, domain coordinator Lab, show us behind the scenes.
Safety first
The four floors of Building W are home to four research groups: Plasmant, Lacda, Orsy and MOSAIC. They used to work at Campus Drie Eiken and Campus Groenenborg but the labs there were in urgent need of an upgrade.
Safety was a priority from day one. ‘On each floor, the lab is in the centre, completely separated from the offices,’ Herman Van Looveren explains. ‘The glass walls mean you can see what’s happening in the lab from a safe distance, which is vital when working with toxic gases such as CO. Moreover, only staff members with the right badge and appropriate security training can access the labs.’
Each lab entrance has an electronic control panel, showing real-time information on the security situation. There’s also a safety status light showing whether it’s safe to enter the lab. ‘We used to keep track of everything manually,’ Vera adds. ‘Now we can see straightaway if there’s a gas leak or if a bottle is almost empty, and we can intervene sooner and safely if something goes wrong.’
And safety remains guaranteed even if there’s a power cut. ‘We have an emergency generator and all critical technical systems have backup. All measures are in place to ensure continuity,’ Herman says.
Employees can observe what is happening in the laboratory from a safe distance.The control panel provides real-time information about the safety situation in the laboratory.A tower light on the outside indicates whether or not it is safe to enter the laboratory.
More research possible
The focus of the research in this building is on making chemistry more sustainable. This could mean, for example, replacing fossil fuels with more sustainable alternatives like cellulose or lignin, found in wood, or using captured CO₂ as a raw material.
Thanks to the enhanced safety measures, new experiments can be conducted. Vera adds: ‘We’ve already worked on harmful exhaust emissions from cars, but now we’re also researching those from marine engines, for example. Because these contain a higher concentration of certain toxic gases, we couldn’t safely perform such a study in our previous lab; we didn’t have the necessary extraction there. We convert harmful gases like CO, NOX and hydrocarbons to less harmful substances such as CO₂, nitrogen and water. To make this possible, we’re developing new catalysts together with KDG and the Antwerp Maritime Academy.’
‘Thanks to the new safety features, we can now conduct new experiments we couldn’t do before.’
– Vera Meyen
Flexible and forward-looking
A major advantage of Building W is its modular design. ‘In the old days, you had to move or rebuild a lot of things for a new experiment,’ says Herman. ‘But thanks to the new set-up, the lab can now be more easily adapted to new research needs, as all the necessary technologies are already in place. This means we save time and money.’
And this is important, because chemical research is constantly evolving. ‘We are involved in sustainable chemistry, so we’re constantly adapting our experiments to keep up with new evolutions and technologies, Vera emphasises. ‘The collaboration between researchers, architects, the Infrastructure Department and external partners was essential to make the building future-proof. After all, our building should still be relevant 50 years from now.’
‘We made sure that all the equipment is easily movable, so the set-up can be quickly adjusted if the research changes.’ Herman Van Looveren
Sustainability at the heart
Sustainability is not only the subject of research, but is also visible in and around the building itself:
The roof is equipped with solar panels to generate renewable energy.
The car park was de-paved and made into a green space.
Large windows provide natural light, which means the lights don’t always have to be on.
The ventilation is designed to be demand-driven, contributing to a more energy-efficient system.
Solar panels on the roof.More green space.
‘Safety and sustainability go hand in hand here,’ Herman said. ‘The constant ventilation ensures a safe working environment. But in the evening, the ventilation changes down a gear to save energy.’
Collaboration happens naturally
A key asset of Building W is the new dynamic between the research groups. ‘We’re no longer spread across multiple campuses,’ Vera explains. ‘By working together in one building, we run into each other more often: in the kitchen, at the coffee machine or in the meeting rooms. We share ideas, equipment and staff.’
Prof. Bert Maes (ORSY) also shares this view: ‘We can now share our expertise much faster. Each research group does things differently, but when that comes together, we move forward faster.’
Informal meetings often turn out to be the start of new projects.Bert Maes: ‘We can now share our expertise much faster.’
Students are also welcome
On the ground floor, there’s space for meetings, lectures and for students. ‘There ‘s a multi-purpose room with small kitchen, sound system and video facilities,’ says Herman. ‘Students can go there to take a break or study between classes. Staff can book the space for events.’
A break between two courses.Space to relax or study.Multi-purpose room with video facilities.
New artwork: where chemistry meets culture
In front of Building W is a sculpture by Athar Jaber: a pile of rough Carrara marble blocks, depicting a marble molecule under an electron microscope. An ode to chemistry and a nod to the Italian roots of the artist, who received his PhD from ARIA and today teaches at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.
Athar Jaber’s sculpture is an ode to chemistry.
Architects and contractors
Developer: UAntwerp
Architects: Partnership between Arcadis Belgium NV – DBV-Architects BVBA
