Forest National Takes a Sustainable Leap Forward with its New Roof

Forest National recently underwent a significant upgrade by installing a brand-new roof. This refurbishment aligns with the venue's ongoing commitment to sustainability and marks a pivotal step in reducing its environmental impact.

The aging roof at Forest National was due for a revamp. Coralie Berael , the venue director, notes, "While the steel load-bearing structure remained unchanged, the renovation became imperative due to inadequate roof isolation and numerous leaks."

Planning for the roof replacement commenced a year prior, orchestrated by architectural firm abv+. Coralie emphasizes, "The timing was critical, considering our busy event schedule. We could only start after the last concert in June, with a hard deadline by the end of August."

Despite challenging weather conditions with near-constant rain, the team at Polydak delivered commendable work, supported by Kingspan, replacing 42 smoke vents alongside the roof renovation.

Jasper Plaetinck , Facility & Safety manager at be?at, comments, “Renewing 5,600m2 of the roof is a pivotal move in Forest National's energy-efficient renovation journey. The collaboration between Kingspan and Polydak, despite adverse weather, ensured safe progress."

Beyond enhancing energy management, the roof renovation serves a dual purpose. Coralie explains,

1. "We've introduced a layer of acoustic isolation and added substantial thermal insulation.
2. Shifting from a black to a light grey roof covering mitigates urban heat absorption, regulating temperatures within the concert hall. This smart choice enables us to manage energy consumption responsibly year-round."

The sustainable initiatives at Forest National extend beyond physical changes. Very recently the team started to collaborate in a pilot project with Circular Unity. As a startup, they're aggregating data to monitor and optimize sustainability efforts. Coralie mentions, "We meticulously record everything, from counting bicycles at shows to analyzing MIVB/STIB data. Post-show energy readings help us fine-tune consumption. Annually, we report to local authorities on our socio-economic and sustainable operations, a practice dating back to 2012."

However, data consolidation remains a challenge. Coralie highlights, "Our information is scattered across different spreadsheets within the team. Partnering with Circular Unity aims to digitize this data onto their platform. The goal is a user-friendly dashboard, offering real-time insights into our sustainability efforts, enabling better decision-making to further shrink our ecological footprint."

In Coralie Berael 's words, "Measurement leads to knowledge." Forest National's dedication to sustainable practices continues to evolve, with technology and innovation driving their quest for a greener, more responsible future.