Belgium’s Defence to Build New Headquarters

Belgium’s Defence is investing in a new operational headquarters which meets the contemporary requirements in terms of functionality, safety, wellbeing, and sustainability. The Design, Build & Maintain contract with a total sum of EUR 499 million was awarded to the consortium Be Defence, which is responsible for the design, realisation, and technical maintenance of the infrastructure. The more compact New Headquarters will be located straight across from the NATO Headquarters on a site of 11.4 hectares, partly on the terrain of the old NATO site and partly on the current Queen Elisabeth Quarter.The main building itself will be mainly an office with 2,800 spots where all services of the Staff of Defence, General Service Intelligence and Safety ADIV and the Cyber Command will be housed. The offices will be designed according to the principles of the New Way of Working The surroundings shall give an extra impulse to the collaboration between the several departments. All military operations are led from the main building. Furthermore, all functions for the personnel are provided such as a company restaurant, a zone for inside sports, changing rooms, and showers. A lot of attention is paid to the wellbeing of the personnel with adapted thermic comfort, good air quality, acoustic comfort, and sufficient daylight in the office spaces. A publicly accessible conference centre is planned at the Boulevard Leopold III. This centre contains one large conference room with a capacity of 300 people and several smaller meeting rooms. A separate building with a day-care and the office space for the Central Service for Social and Cultural Action of Defence will be built as well. This project puts a clear emphasis on sustainability in all aspects. The 92-hectare global site; the Queen Elisabeth Quarter and former NATO Headquarters, is currently the subject of an urban development by the Brussels Capital Region and the Flemish Region, with a built-up area in the northern part of the site, along Boulevard Leopold III, and a green zone in the south of the site.

Belgium’s Defence to Build New Headquarters

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