Wood and innovation in façades: a dual perspective on the Mendel and E6K projects

Bois Façade greisch 1440 X 480

Using wood is a flexible solution for creating or renovating building façades. Two execution studies carried out by the office in 2025 – the Mendel tower and the E6K training center – illustrate this perfectly.

Mendel-Greisch Wooden Siding - 1

Renovation: focus on the Mendel building

The Mendel tower in Louvain-la-Neuve, designed by architects Charles Vandenhove and Émile José Fettweis, is a brutalist building from 1972 with over 7,000 m², housing the offices and laboratories of UCL’s faculty of bioengineering. It is currently undergoing a complete renovation. The internal structure has been stripped back and many spaces reimagined. In line with this, the façades are also being modernized: the existing glazed façades are entirely replaced with insulated timber cassettes, a light and durable solution, along with new curtain walls.

E6K - Greisch Wooden Siding - 1

E6K, a new school in Charleroi

Located on the Quai de la Gare in Charleroi, the new E6K training center, covering more than 16,000 m², is under construction. The main structure of the building is designed in reinforced concrete, while the façades are made up of insulated timber cassettes, accounting for around 1,500 m². The choice of prefabricated cassettes was obvious: they allow for very fast installation and create the necessary insulating envelope around the concrete structure.

Mendel-Greisch Wooden Siding - 2

An execution mission by greisch

Bureau greisch was tasked with the execution studies for these two projects. The focus was on optimizing and standardizing the cassettes to reduce production costs while facilitating their manufacturing and installation. In parallel, the office supported the contractor in defining the technical compositions of the cassettes and in ensuring compliance with fire safety standards specific to this type of façade.

Our timber team specialists also designed the joints between the cassette elements and the fixing systems on the existing structures.

The success of projects like these relies on a high level of responsiveness from the engineering teams, coupled with smooth, continuous communication with the contractor. The inherent speed of timber construction demands this close collaboration.

Project stakeholders

Mendel Tower

  • Client: Catholic University of Louvain
  • Architect: MODULO Architects srl
  • Engineering office: Bureau greisch
  • General contractor: SM Duchene – Valens – De Graeve
  • Timber façade contractor: Sabem

E6K

  • Client: Intermunicipal association IGRETEC
  • Architect: Intermunicipal association IGRETEC
  • Engineering office: Bureau greisch
  • Contractor: Sabem SA (timber cassettes)

 

 

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