Belgium – Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services – Aanstellen van een ontwerpteam voor bouwprojecten

KKarus VZW is a psychiatric hospital offering tailored care towards recovery for people with mental health issues and their environment. To achieve its strategic care goals, Karus has drawn up an infrastructure master plan, where future infrastructure must enable the full rollout of the defined care strategy. General principles of this master plan are:

• Centralisation of the specialised treatment offer on the Merelbeke-Melle campus;

• Infrastructure that contributes to the care strategy;

• Living and living quality: healing environment in a green environment;

• Sustainability;

• Efficient and qualitative exploitation;

• Qualitative work environment;

• External synergies;

• Respect for cultural value.

In this phase of the master plan, Karus vzw wishes to:

Draw up a campus development plan for the entire psychiatric hospital on the Merelbeke-Melle campus, based on the current infrastructure master plan of Karus. This development plan will comprehensively address spatial organisation, functions and circulation structures. The plan translates the care vision into a healing, safe and overview living environment, with attention to privacy, therapy, nature experience and future-oriented flexibility. In addition, utilities, logistics services and accessibility for emergency services will be carefully integrated to ensure efficient, safe and robust functioning of the campus. Buildings, landscape and infrastructure will be approached in cohesion, with an eye on sustainability and phasing.

Renovation of existing buildings

The assignment includes the renovation of three existing buildings located within the historic campus in Melle:

Building M50 – Sint-Jozef: gross floor area of approx. 1,700 m², divided over three floors;

Building M9 – Jericho: gross floor area of approx. 2,880 m², divided over three floors;

Building M12 – Oude Wasserij: gross floor area of approx. 1,130 m², divided over two floors.

These buildings are part of the original psychiatric hospital buildings and date from the early twentieth century. They have been out of use for some time. The raw structure of these buildings offers opportunities to accommodate new functions, but the physical condition requires thorough adjustments. Although the buildings are not protected as monuments, together with the other historic buildings on the site, they are part of the established inventory of the architectural heritage since 14 September 2009. The renovation aims to make the buildings suitable for housing departments for (young) adults, with both day treatment and residential treatment.

New construction

In addition, the assignment includes the design of a new construction department with a gross floor area of approximately 3,800 m², intended for both day treatment and residential treatment of children and young people. The new construction will be realised on the Karus sites, located outside the historic campus, on the other side of the Caritasstraat. A department naturally includes the rooms of the care seekers, but also e.g. common spaces, meeting rooms, therapy rooms, offices as well as site development, landscaping, fixed furniture, etc. What will ultimately be built is the conclusion of an iterative and dialectical process between the client and the designer. In this process, the intersection between, on the one hand, expertise and vision regarding the service provision and, on the other hand, the expertise regarding the quality of space and thorough knowledge of materials and technology, is condensed into a final plan. Designers are given the freedom to shape the technically complex assignment themselves, including in terms of realising alternative building configurations, internal circulation, material choices, (care) technical equipment, etc. Furthermore, account must be taken of various additional factors, such as long-term maintenance and operation, as well as other circumstances/considerations.

In order to evaluate the vision on the entire project, the conceptual originalities and the architectural quality between the different concepts, close consultation must be possible with the designers in order to find the most optimal solution. The design assignment includes all relevant disciplines: architecture, stability, techniques (HVAC, sanitary, electricity, lifts, fire extinguishing, acoustics, (B)EN study...), EPB reporting, interior design and landscaping. The designer must assemble a team that has all the necessary professional qualifications and experience in these disciplines, and must also be able to provide the necessary references. Indicatively, a total construction cost of 35,000,000 euros (excl. honoraria, excl. VAT) is taken into account. This indicative budget is based on current insights, which of course can still be adjusted during the design process, and the amount is therefore purely indicative. It is clear that the design of this assignment can already be co-determining for the later (re)newal projects from the master plan of Karus vzw, and that there should therefore be a striving for maximum integration and synergy with the already realised projects. Karus vzw therefore explicitly reserves the right to, within three years after the conclusion of the present assignment, award the execution of the design of one or more later (re)newal projects on this site to the designer of this assignment by means of a negotiated procedure without prior publication, in accordance with art. 42 §1 2° of the Law of 17 June 2016 on public procurement. The scope of all repeat orders...