Last updated: October 2021
The Faktory project claims to be the first European smart greenhouse, located in the Science Park of Liege. The building serves as a Private Incubator of young start-ups focusing on tech, but it has sustainability goals, too; it is a showcase of urban agriculture, there is biodiversity integration, and the plants produced in the building contribute to supplying the cafeteria (Ref. 1).
Mixed-use building ‘The Faktory’
https://www.ney.partners/project/mixed-use-building-the-faktory.html
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green walls or facades
- Community gardens and allotments
- Community gardens
- Nature in buildings (indoor)
- Other
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
- Economic development: agriculture
- Economic development: industry
- Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
- Sustainable consumption
- Sustainable production
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
The sustainable building of the Faktory integrates green energy solutions with a mixture of urban agriculture to provide space for housings and startup incubators. It is a building open to nature in order to put prototypes of agricultural production because there are many spaces that were reserved for green spaces inside and these spaces give the opportunity to be able to experiment with agriculture inside buildings (Ref. 1).
Implementation activities
The construction was intended to be finished in 2017. As of October 13, 2020, Ref. 1 still indicates that "The Faktory is currently located in Liège Science Park, a calm, suburban area lined with trees and in proximity with other high tech companies. The Faktory will be soon relocated to the city center of Liège in a just five levels, zero energy building and will embrace a mixture of urban agriculture, housings and startup incubators".
Climate-focused activities
Climate change mitigation:
- Install vertical or horizontal artificial surfaces that help with carbon storage and cooling
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Researchers/University
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The Faktory is a private Tech Startup Accelerator and Seed Investment Fund. The former managing director of EVS bought one of the buildings of his former company. He plans to install the Faktory, the incubator he created from his own funds (Ref. 4).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Angel / informal investors
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Reduced emissions
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
- Attraction of business and investment
Socio-cultural impacts
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved mental health
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
(1) The Faktory (n.d.). Website. Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 13, 2020).
(2) University de Liege (n.d.). "Green Roofs and Facades: Toward food and biodiversity functions". Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 13, 2020).
(3) Urban Farm Company, Faktory project description Available at: http://195.244.174.34/uploadedfiles/Contenu_du_site/Professionnels/Formations_et_s%C3%A9minaires/Alliance_emploi_-_environnement_(s%C3%A9minaires)/Source link (Website not available in 2020).
(4) Article: Liège: la Faktory va s'installer dans l'ancien bâtiment d'EVS. Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 13, 2020).
(5) Crutzen, Florine (2016). "Green Building à Liège: "bâtiment écosystème" pionnier en Europe". Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 13, 2020).
(6) NEY and Partners (2013). "Projects / Mixed-use building ‘The Faktory’". Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 13, 2020).
(2) University de Liege (n.d.). "Green Roofs and Facades: Toward food and biodiversity functions". Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 13, 2020).
(3) Urban Farm Company, Faktory project description Available at: http://195.244.174.34/uploadedfiles/Contenu_du_site/Professionnels/Formations_et_s%C3%A9minaires/Alliance_emploi_-_environnement_(s%C3%A9minaires)/Source link (Website not available in 2020).
(4) Article: Liège: la Faktory va s'installer dans l'ancien bâtiment d'EVS. Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 13, 2020).
(5) Crutzen, Florine (2016). "Green Building à Liège: "bâtiment écosystème" pionnier en Europe". Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 13, 2020).
(6) NEY and Partners (2013). "Projects / Mixed-use building ‘The Faktory’". Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 13, 2020).