The new Haus Konterbont care centres are a building designed to support the wellbeing of children in distress. It has therefore been designed to support the special needs of these abused and neglected children and offer them a new living environment adapted to their particular needs. It is managed by the ProFamilia foundation, which organises psycho-socio-educational support for the children who can stay in this new facility day and night.
The Public Building Administration (ABP) is the contracting authority for this construction project, and entrusted the architectural design to BENG Architectes Associés, in collaboration with HLG Ingénieurs-Conseils (civil engineering) and Syntec (technical engineering).
Part of a complex
The building replaces the former CNA annex on a 45-acre plot of land owned by the state, which houses other Pro Familia Foundation services, including the Family Consultation and Mediation Centre, a crisis centre for children, a women's area and a space dedicated to administration and technical services.
It houses two day and night care centres for a total of 16 children aged between 4 and 18. It has a surface area of 1,700 m² and is 50m long over four floors. The layout has made it possible to create an inner courtyard with a play area. Each reception centre is a self-contained unit with six rooms for the children, giving a total of 12 rooms divided between the two centres.
Mixed-use building
This building is a mixed wood-concrete construction: the cellars, stairwells and corridors are made of concrete and masonry, while the living areas, bedrooms and administration areas are made of wood. The special feature of this project is the use of beechwood from the Grünewald forest, supplied by the Nature and Forest Agency (ANF). This is one of the first beechwood projects of this scale in Luxembourg, and therefore represents a pilot project. Beechwood is very sensitive to humidity, and it is important to organise the construction work according to the seasons and weather conditions.
To emphasise the verticality of the façade, the horizontal bedroom windows are divided by vertical wooden cladding to let in natural light. To protect against the sun, all the windows are fitted with slatted blinds.
High-performance building
In accordance with public building regulations, the building has a high energy performance. It achieved class A-B in the energy passport. To achieve this, the external walls were insulated with cellulose and wood fibre. The windows are triple-glazed with wood-aluminium joinery. The flat roof is planted with vegetation and insulated with rock wool. A photovoltaic system has been installed to produce green electricity.
The building is equipped with a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery in winter, limiting energy loss while ensuring that the air is renewed. Heating is provided by district heating. Blinds provide solar protection in summer.
Technical details
Client: Ministry of Mobility and Public Works, Public Building Administration
Architect: BENG Architectes Associés
Civil engineering consultants: HLG Ingénieurs-Conseils
Technical engineering consultants: Syntec
Control office: Vinçotte Luxembourg
Approved body: Vinçotte Luxembourg
Health and safety coordinator: InCA Ingénieurs-Conseils Associés
Energy and lighting consultant: EBP Schweiz
Building materials assessment: Luxcontrol
Gross built volume: 6,060m3
Gross floor area: 1700m2
Handover: February 2023
Commissioning: March 2023
Inauguration: 17 September 2024
Budget: €10m
Location: 5 route de Zoufftgen, Dudelange
