building the listening comfort of high military surveillance
Kester
project characteristics
It includes, besides the administrative & logistical buildings, a set of large communication antennas & their equipment chains. All antennas are protected by radomes. The site was specially chosen to offer an optimal configuration for use & efficiently fills the available footprint by aligning the buildings & antennas along the contours of the terrain. The antennas are aligned east/west, with space for an additional antenna & a full line to the south if necessary.
| program | telecom installations for NATO |
| client | NATO & Leonardo MW Ltd (UK) |
| address | Kesterweg 80 • 1755 Gooik |
| building type | work |
| status | completed |
| size | 2,241 sqm |
| team | • company: Herpain Entreprises • structural engineering: Franz Dupont • MEP engineering: VK Engineering • project management: Bopro • quality control: Seco |
Regarding the building, comfort & high technical performance criteria played an important role in the project’s design. In addition to the overall architectural quality of the building and its attractive facade, design aspects such as the height of the interior spaces, optimal natural light, interactions between indoor & outdoor spaces & the use of high-quality materials have contributed to enhancing this atmosphere of comfort.
The operations building, the administrative area & the housing have been placed separately. This functional division has allowed the separation of work & leisure activities, which is highly beneficial to the well-being of the staff & avoids the “bunker mentality” of a single building, creating a more airy & open environment.
The buildings adhere to very high safety & environmental standards, such as the reuse of lost heat, rainwater harvesting, thermal & solar efficiency to minimize the need for air conditioning, thereby reducing operating costs. Additionally, the buildings are designed to be easy to maintain throughout their lifespan.
