VITO’s EARTH building nominated for Facility Award ‘Project of the Year’
VITO’s EARTH building in Mol has been nominated for the Facility Awards 2026 in the category Facility Project of the Year. With this nomination, EARTH is recognised as a strong example of how research infrastructure can be designed and deployed today.
A future-oriented research infrastructure
With the EARTH building, VITO is fully committed to a future-oriented approach. It is the first climate-neutral laboratory building in Flanders and achieves an exceptional E-level of -4. In addition, EARTH obtained the GRO ‘excellent’ label, the highest possible level within the Belgian sustainability assessment framework for construction projects, and became only the fourth building in Flanders to receive an A+ accessibility label.
But EARTH is more than just a building. It was designed to support research to the fullest, both today and in the future. Its flexible and modular lab infrastructure makes it possible to respond quickly to evolving research needs, while the building layout stimulates collaboration and knowledge sharing between researchers.
Sustainability and circularity by design
Clear choices were also made in terms of sustainability and circularity. The building incorporates circular materials such as Carbstone — a construction material developed by VITO based on residual flows from the steel industry.
In addition, the building integrates energy-efficient techniques such as aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) and smart water management, combined with a carefully designed landscape featuring native vegetation and limited paving, contributing to biodiversity on the site.
From research to industrial application
Beyond these sustainable design choices and lab facilities, EARTH also plays an important role in translating research into real-world applications. The building houses pilot installations and research facilities that help scale up technologies towards industrial applications. In this way, EARTH supports VITO’s role in turning research into concrete solutions for industry and contributes to a competitive and sustainable economy.
With this nomination, VITO underlines its ambition not only to develop sustainable technologies, but also to apply them within its own operations and infrastructure.
