MVRDV has secured the construction permit for the Tour & Taxis towers in Brussels. This mixed-use development focuses on low-carbon building practices to reduce the environmental footprint of urban expansion. The project aims to integrate sustainable architecture into the Brussels skyline by 2026. It serves as a case study for reducing embodied carbon in large-scale commercial and residential towers.
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Low carbon is a broad term. I want to see the actual materials list. Are they using timber hybrids or just low-carbon concrete mixes? The difference in cost and durability is huge for a project this size.
That depends on the Brussels building codes. Usually, these permits require a specific carbon budget per square meter. The real question is whether the city is auditing the embodied carbon or just trusting the architect's model.
Permits are one thing, but the energy load for mixed-use towers is another. I wonder if the local grid in that part of Brussels can handle the electrification of heating for these buildings without major upgrades.
