Wooden; Credit: IKO Real Estate; BPI Real Estate

IKO Real Estate and BPI Real Estate have announced that they are co-developing the new headquarters of Bâloise Assurances Luxembourg in Leudelange.

The new headquarters, aptly named "Wooden", will feature the first wooden office building of this scale in Luxembourg, as well as the second administrative building in the country to be part of the WELL Building Standard® certification process.

Behind its six-story glass façade, the new Wooden building reveals a wooden framework, whose V-shaped lines give it a unique character. Consisting of a load-bearing structure (exoskeleton, columns and slabs) that is entirely made of wood, Wooden is designed with sustainable development in mind. The wood species used here come exclusively from sustainable forests in the Greater Region. In these PEFC-certified forests, when a tree is cut down, one or two other specimens are replanted. 

If the implementation of wood extends the design period, the execution work will be accelerated. The elements are prefabricated and are 40% lighter than concrete, which is aimed at relieving the building's foundations and reducing the number of lorries needed to bring them to the site. The building, which will also be equipped with photovoltaic panels, is aiming for BREEAM Excellent environmental certification.

Wooden is also the second building in Luxembourg to be part of the WELL Building Standard® certification process. Its focus is on the well-being of occupants, through ten concepts aimed at enabling a holistic approach to well-being in and around the building: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal comfort, Sound, Materials, Mind and Community. In terms of wellness, Wooden's architecture, designed by the international firm Art & Build Architect, also emphasises biophysical design, which integrates natural elements into the built environment in a way that aims to satisfy this need for connection and promotes the well-being of the occupants. Terraces on each floor and green roofs aim to reinforce this connection to nature. In addition, the ground floor is designed as a place to live, welcome and exchange and opens onto areas for co-working and eating out. 

The 429 employees of Bâloise Assurances Luxembourg will move into the 9,600 m2 building after completion of their rental arrangements. It is foreseen that the building will lend itself to new ways of working with several collaborative spaces, a "village" in the centre of the building to encourage exchanges and lounges to welcome customers. 

Earthworks will begin in the spring of 2020, with delivery scheduled for the second half of 2022.