Scholen van Morgen: building the Flemish schools of the future
Reading time: 3 min
In Belgium, AG Real Estate, BNP Paribas Fortis and the Flemish government have joined forces to transform the educational landscape with 182 construction and renovation projects. And Cegelec HVAC is providing its technical expertise.
Copyright: AG Real Estate
Launched under a public-private partnership (PPP), the Scholen van Morgen [lit. Schools of Tomorrow] programme is designed to meet the urgent need for modern education infrastructure in Flanders. Created by the company DBFM Scholen van Morgen NV, this 30-year scheme incorporates the design, construction, financing and maintenance of 182 school projects. At the heart of this approach, Cegelec HVAC has contributed to two flagship projects: one in Heist‑op‑den‑Berg (Antwerp Province) and the other in Beringen (Limburg Province).
Solutions tailored to each project
On its Bierkofstrat site in the Antwerp region, the new Heilig‑Hartscholen campus includes two secondary schools and a sports hall, while the neighbouring site has a fully renovated primary school with new classrooms for nursery and primary pupils.
Cegelec HVAC supplied and installed the heating, ventilation and climate control systems, as well as electrical installations. “We designed and installed robust, easy-to-maintain solutions to the latest safety and comfort standards,” says Gust Voeten, Project Director / Technical Manager at Cegelec HVAC Commercial North (VINCI Energies Building Solutions).
“What makes this programme special is the way we were involved from the design phase, which allowed us to optimise the HVAC installation in advance”
The Beringen project, named “Spectrum College”, is composed of 11 buildings, each with its own heating system. Cegelec HVAC installed a demand controlled ventilation system for the classrooms, special units to extract smoke and dust from welding, 11 boiler systems, centralised ventilation, and specialised installations for the technical workshops.
Expertise, organisation and sustainable technical choices
Cegelec HVAC formed a dedicated team for each project, each with a project lead, project and design engineers, site supervisor and site engineers. “What makes this programme special is the way we were involved from the design phase, which allowed us to optimise the HVAC installation in advance,” explains Gust Voeten. Cegelec carried out also the electrical work, and VINCI Facilities is now providing building maintenance under the PPP.
The two projects also stand out for their environmental approach, with air handling units equipped for heat recovery, and no active cooling in the school buildings. The Heist‑op‑den‑Berg site has been upgraded from System C to System D ventilation. “This modification makes it possible to recover heat and moisture from the extracted air and use them to heat and humidify the fresh air taken in, which improves comfort and energy efficiency,” says Gust Voeten.
With Scholen van Morgen, Flanders is acquiring not only modern school infrastructure, but also efficient technical installations designed to last.
11/14/2025
