Translating EU climate policies into building design requirements. The EIB West Campus Programme – a case study

Abstract

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is one of the largest providers of global climate finance and a pioneer in promoting sustainability and circular transition, both through its lending activity and its own projects. This paper presents the EIB West Campus programme (WCP) in Luxembourg as a case study on how to translate and integrate EU climate policies into design and construction requirements from the initial stages of design.

The WCP is a large-scale project (GIA circa 79,300 m²) that includes the renovation and energy efficiency upgrading of the EIB historic brutalist headquarters (1980) and of its Extension building (1995), located in Luxembourg. This paper introduces the methodological approach adopted for the integration into the project brief and the design requirements of sustainability and circularity objectives as translated from EU regulations, directives and guidelines through tasks and deliverables for the concept design stage and further stages of design and construction. A specific challenge has been the structuring of the design requirements to create synergies and promote innovation and novelty around sustainability and circularity aspects. This case study may serve in the future to provide guidance on integration of climate policies in large scale building design processes.

Keywords: Circular Economy Strategy, Renovation Scope, Innovation, Building Design objectives and requirements, Project Brief, Invitation to Tender