Major renovation of the de Serres building in UCLouvain

The De Serres tower is a building that was constructed in the early 1970s by the architects Charles Vandenhove and Emile-José Feittweis. René Greisch was their consultant engineer at that time.

The primary structure of the building is extremely rational and consists mainly of prefabricated elements (prefabricated column elements and double capitals, prefabricated slabs, and beams, prefabricated reinforced concrete technical ceilings, etc.). The 7.20m x 7.20m grid is found throughout the modulation of the building.

In the context of the major renovation of the De Serres tower, the bureau Greisch was asked to study the demolitions and specific interventions on the existing structure (new vertical circulations, reprofiling of the facades, new access footbridge, modifications of the links with the adjacent towers, etc.). The primary structure being perfectly mastered since the concept was imagined by René Greisch and reproduced on numerous buildings studied by the bureau (for example the CHU of Liège), the possibilities of modification could be exploited to the fullest to meet the expectations of the Architects and the Owner. On the roof, a metal structure was built to house the important technical machinery. This structure was designed so that its support points correspond to the existing structural framework.