New wzc in Eeklo has opened its doors to residents

Coming Home

In Eeklo, expectations were high. In record time, the residents of the Dr. J. Coppens wzc saw a new building looming on an adjacent property. Huis Coppens, their new home, opened its doors on April 4. A conversation with builder Care-ion and contractor Vandenbussche about how construction and operation are intertwined to create a unique concept of recovering, staying and living. A place where everyone, residents, visitors, local residents ... can come home to.

The former wzc Dr. J. Coppens had been a beacon in Eeklo for years. Residents enjoyed green space in the heart of the city, but the rooms and facilities no longer met today's standards and expectations. The arrival of Huis Coppens heralds a new era for the 45 residents. An era of integration. Johan Maris, director of operations at building owner and operator Care-ion explains the intention. "We want to remove the stigma of the wzc. Not moving, but far-housing: this is our contemporary vision of residential living. Homeliness and the rhythm of our residents take precedence. We do this by creating a familiar environment throughout the building on the one hand and by being an open house to the neighborhood on the other. The house is a meeting place for family, friends and local residents."

Future proof concepts

A concept that Care-ion continues in each of the 21 WCs under its care and in future projects. Yet each is particularly different. "The spirit of the home must always be preserved. You cannot separate atmosphere from the local environment; it determines the uniqueness of a project. For Eeklo, we therefore added the dimension of repair to the concept of living and care. There was a need for this. In addition to the 45 rooms for original residents, Huis Coppens was given 18 assisted living and 60 convalescent homes. That too is inclusion," Maris summarizes. A clear ambition that called for a building that could give shape to that openness and interconnectedness while being future proof. "Healthcare technology is evolving very quickly under the influence of digitalization. We anticipate this by avoiding load-bearing interior walls so that we can play with concepts. But also by providing all possible connections already in the construction phase. When the time is right for certain technological improvements, we are always prepared. We want to integrate new care technology non-invasively and as invisibly as possible. That contributes finaly to the comfort of our residents," adds Emile Deceuninck, director at Care-ion.

Challenge by timing and scope

For a partner in the construction of the new Coppens House, Care-ion did not have to look far. With Vandenbussche from Aalter, it was able to call on an established, local player with a great deal of experience in healthcare projects. And that was necessary, because the very tight deadline of less than two years, combined with the size, demanded a strong team. The new building covers an area of 10,700 m² and has five floors. "This was a project after our hearts," opens director-director ir Kristof Defruyt. "Not only because of the strong concept in terms of content. The preliminary process also left the necessary room to think along with Care-ion about how we could optimize the building for further use. ❯ This allowed us to throw the full weight of our experience in care into the scale, as we always do according to our 'We Pull Your Plan' method. This allowed us to bring comfort and care into harmony."

Vandenbussche was appointed to deliver the entire construction turnkey, exterior landscaping included. Work began on August 1, 2020. On April 4, 2022, the residents moved into their new home. Respecting the timing was crucial to ensure continuity of care to the residents. "When we promise something, we do it," Defruyt says with a wink. "Our entire team was committed to meeting the deadline, a mission we brought to fruition."

Coming up with solutions together

However, circumstances did not make it any easier. Corona not only threw a spanner in the works for personnel planning, but also brought up shortages in materials. Still, Deceuninck can only look back on the cooperation with satisfaction. "You feel it when two family businesses work together. Then it's not about biting every euro in half, but about coming together to fully-fledged, workable solutions that move the building and its occupants forward. Vandenbussche proved to be highly professional at every stage of this story. Always flexible, always solution-oriented. We could rely on everything running as it should." Coordination on site was in the hands of Vandenbussche project manager Tinneke Van Thienen. She was present every day to oversee the progress of the works and communicate with building owner Care-ion. "Thanks to our structural engineering experience, the structural work was finished in no time. The finishing work took more time. We thought carefully about how to fit everything in the ceiling and still maintain maximum heights, as well as how to improve the acoustics. After all, details like that make a building much more pleasant."

Building green

Sustainability also received due attention. "Our ambition is to be the first wzc to achieve BREEAM certification. The integration of solar panels, a state-of-the-art building management system, drinking fountains to avoid plastic, the selection of materials ... we always tried to make the most sustainable choices," Deceuninck underlines. Something that Vandenbussche also pursued during the execution of the works. Van Thienen: "During the earthworks, the water pumped up was recovered. The city used it, among other things, to water the greenery in the city. In addition, our tower cranes ran on green energy from our sustainable city batteries." Those tower cranes, by the way, were not only used by Vandenbussche employees. "It turned out to be a dream of one of the residents to sit in one. We treated her, respecting all the safety measures, to a tour around the building." Or how inclusion can start very early. 

Facts and figures

Principal and caregiver
Care-ion

Contractor
Vandenbussche

Construction time
20 months

Total building area
10.700 m²

Capacity
45 wzc rooms, 60 recovery rooms, 18 assisted living facilities