Sports Hall and Student Housing: UNamur Receives Planning Permission

This marks the first green light for the construction of a new sports hall and 85 student housing units on the site located at Avenue des Croix du Feu and Rue Muzet in Namur. The Walloon Region official responsible for deciding on the granting of the building permit commends the quality of the project, particularly for: 

• The special attention paid to the quality of the outdoor spaces. 
• The project’s harmonious integration into the urban landscape. 
• The improvement the project will bring to the existing site, thanks to its architectural quality, its central green space, and the landscaping of the surrounding area. 

“We enthusiastically welcome this decision by the delegated official. We developed this project to meet the needs of our students and our university community, ensuring its integration and coherence within the neighborhood and surrounding area. This effort has been recognized by the delegated official,” says Valérie Daenen, General Administrator of UNamur. 

“Creating a sports hall and new housing at UNamur was a priority for the university administration. This project addresses real needs expressed by our students. On the one hand, it will make the campus even more inclusive by offering high-quality housing at affordable rents. And second, it will improve students’ quality of life by providing them with a place to practice sports and thus contribute to their personal development,” notes Annick Castiaux, Rector of UNamur.

As originally planned, construction will be able to begin in late August 2026, upon receipt of approval for the drainage project for the basements in question, as part of the building permit process.  

Construction activities will be organized sequentially and simultaneously, in phases, to meet the goal of making the housing units available in September 2028. The various phases are as follows: 

• Building demolition phase (6 weeks)
• Soil remediation and earthwork phase (3 months)
• Foundation construction phase (2 months)
• Structural work phase (1 year)
• Finishing and equipment installation phase (6 months) 
• Landscaping (6 months)

The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028. 

Regular updates will be provided to local residents and Hénallux, the project partner located near the site, to keep them fully informed of progress and minimize disruptions to their operations. 

The site is located at the corner of Avenue des Croix du Feu and Rue Muzet, next to the Hénallux buildings in Namur. Currently, the site houses several rental units for students, accommodations for visiting professors in a single-family home, and a parking lot, while part of the buildings remains unoccupied (former veterinary medicine buildings). 

This project calls for the creation of 85 new affordable student housing units and a multipurpose sports hall. 

Student housing 

• 85 student rooms divided into units of 5 to 6 rooms 
• Rooms of at least 12 m² with private bathroom facilities 
• 5 accessible rooms 
• Common areas: study and lounge, laundry room, etc.  
• Shared rooftop garden 

This part of the project is part of the call for proposals launched by the Walloon Region in June 2023 by Minister Collignon, aimed at creating social student housing.  

UNamur therefore receives partial funding to bring this project to fruition. 

Sports hall

• A large 30 x 36 m multisport hall, certified by InfraSports for sports competitions  
• A multipurpose hall designed for sports 
• A fitness center 
• A dojo 
• A cafeteria 
• Lockers, restrooms, and storage areas 

This project is part of a sustainable development initiative and will incorporate renewable energy sources as well as bio-based materials. Compliance with mobility requirements, as well as safety and accessibility standards for people with reduced mobility, will be ensured, notably through the creation of 38 parking spaces for cars and more than 120 covered and secure spaces for bicycles. 

The project has been awarded to Thomas & Piron Bâtiment under a Design & Build contract, in which the contractor was selected through a competitive bidding process to oversee the project from the design phase through to its final completion.  

In an effort to strengthen partnerships with local stakeholders, UNamur will make the sports hall available to partners.  

Hénallux will have access to the facilities during the day. In the evenings, UNamur students will have access to the facility. Local sports clubs will be able to use the sports hall for certain competitions, particularly on weekends.  

The consortium comprising Thomas & Piron Bâtiment (construction division) and DDS+ (design division) was selected to carry out the project. For this project, the consortium is collaborating with various subcontractors: Ledroit Pierret Polet Architectes (Architect), Racine Carrée (Architect – Landscape Architect), SIX Consulting & Engineering (Structural Engineer, Specialized Engineering, and PEB Manager), Wow (Structural Engineer), Acoustic Technologies (Acoustician), SOFERMA (Health and Safety Coordinator), CSD Ingénieurs (Mobility Specialist and Soil Pollution Expert), and Plain-Pied (Expert in Accessibility for People with Reduced Mobility).