The spark strikes: the Kamp C construction team is complete with Beneens as contractor
The renovation of the Kamp C Infocentre - which will soon be renamed and rebranded as 'Spark' - is entering a new phase. With the addition of Beneens to the construction team, the team is complete. The Olen-based contractor was chosen because of its well thought-out plan of action and stated vision of circular and bio-based construction. Kamp C will experiment with the design team and the contractor with a new way of tendering in the form of a construction team.
The renovation is part of the ERDF project"Flemish Innovation Centre Bio-based Building".
Unique construction team as leverage
For this renovation, Kamp C opts for an innovative form of cooperation: the construction team model. Here, the client, the designer and the contractor cooperate intensively right from the start.
The design team around ROOILIJN Architectuur, previously selected for their creative ideas and integral vision, and contractor Beneens will work together with Kamp C from now on in a shared process that focuses on transparency, efficiency and shared sustainability ambitions. This means that design choices will not be determined in advance, but gradually refined in consultation."The circular interventions are not yet fully fixed, and that is precisely the strength of this construction team phase," says Bart Mermans, ROOILIJN Architecture."We are now investigating together with Beneens and Kamp C which elements we can reuse, for example, and how best to integrate this into the renovation."
With Beneens completing the construction team as the final link, the phase of joint preparation has really begun. The contractor was selected for its planned approach and clear vision of circular and bio-based construction."We feel a strong connection with the circular office building 't Centrum at Kamp C, so it is logical that we also want to put our shoulders to the wheel on this project," says Joeri Beneens."It's great that sustainable building at Kamp C is so central. We look forward to actively involving people in the bio-based story that Vonk will soon be promoting."
Spark: a living demonstration project
The renovated building will not only have a new name, Spark, but also a new interpretation. It will be a living demonstration project for bio-based building materials. Materials based on natural or renewable raw materials - such as wood, hemp, fungi or straw - will be integrated in the design and in the process. In doing so, Kamp C aims not only to show what is possible, but also to make it literally tangible and visible how the construction sector can become more sustainable.
In the coming months, the entire team will be working hard on the design of the renovation. Implementation is scheduled from January 2026, with regular site visits and insights to be shared.
A place in the future of building
Although the construction team is now formally launching, there is still a lot of scope to enter into collaborations with the wider bio-based building sector. Developers and suppliers of innovative materials can contribute to the material use and visibility within Vonk in the coming project phases. In this way, the building will grow into a shared showcase of bio-based opportunities in Flanders. With this building team, Kamp C wants to show that circular and bio-based building is not just future, but already feasible and realistic. Vonk is an important step in our broader ambition to be a pioneer in sustainable and circular building in the province of Antwerp.
