At first glance, ConstrucThor looks like a collection of houses at Thor Park. In reality, it is much more than that. Behind the façades lies a unique testing infrastructure where researchers, companies, and technologies work together toward one ambition: accelerating climate-neutral construction. To make that possible, Thor Park resident Boolean also plays an important role.
“Everything that can be controlled is controlled individually here,” says Thomas Nagels of Boolean. This exceptional level of technical depth makes ConstrucThor not only a research environment but also a living laboratory for the construction sector.
A Testing Environment for the Construction of Tomorrow
ConstrucThor was established as a large-scale research infrastructure under Open Thor Living Lab to investigate and validate innovative techniques and technologies for climate-neutral construction. Led by KU Leuven, the project brings academic research and industry closer together.
“What sets ConstrucThor apart from other testing centers is the extensive integration between the different buildings and installations. Everything is connected through a technical backbone that allows systems to communicate continuously with each other,” explains Tim Verhetsel of KU Leuven. “This integration enables complex experiments that would be difficult to realize in a traditional testing environment.”
In addition, ConstrucThor has a digital twin of the entire site. Researchers can first simulate new techniques in a digital environment and then verify whether those results match reality.
“Today, you can predict a great deal digitally, but you should never rely on that blindly. Here, we can compare simulations with reality.”
A Meeting That Grew Into a Collaboration
The collaboration between Boolean and ConstrucThor began in 2023 during the Thor Park “Get-2-Know-You” event, where Chris Briers and Tim met. Both parties presented their vision and expertise, and it quickly became clear that they complemented each other perfectly.
At that time, the ConstrucThor team was heavily involved in the technical development of the site. They were looking for an open and flexible automation system and found the answer in Beckhoff technology. Coincidentally, this was also the platform in which Boolean had specialized for years. “We were looking for a partner that could think beyond a traditional building management system. Boolean turned out to be the perfect match.”
The collaboration developed remarkably organically. Rather than following a traditional commercial trajectory, it became a partnership based on mutual trust, open communication, and a shared ambition to create something exceptional.
Chris Briers (Boolean), Myriam Schepers (Boolean), Tim Verhetsel (KU Leuven-EnergyVille), Thomas Nagels (Boolean)
A Building That Thinks, Learns, and Experiments
Anyone walking into the technical areas of ConstrucThor immediately notices that this is not a standard building. Whereas building management systems are normally designed to operate as automatically as possible, ConstrucThor needed to provide maximum flexibility for research purposes.
Boolean therefore developed a control platform that allows installations to be operated in different ways: automatically, manually, or externally by researchers.
This resulted in an impressive technical infrastructure:
- More than 7,500 data points
- Nine PLCs distributed across three terraced houses and one office building
- Approximately 250 network ports
- An extensive server environment with virtual machines and cybersecurity provisions
Every valve, sensor, and parameter can be monitored and adjusted individually. This allows researchers to analyze installations down to the smallest detail and test new scenarios that would be impossible in a conventional building.
“The basement sometimes looks more like a small factory than a traditional building.”
Pushing Boundaries for Innovation
The software was not the only challenge. The construction of ConstrucThor itself also required innovative solutions. The site combines techniques and materials that are rarely used together. For example, circular construction materials recovered from old buildings were used. Reclaimed steel was even applied on this scale for the first time in Flanders in a project of this nature. This raised new questions—not only for designers and contractors, but also for insurers and other stakeholders who have little experience with such applications. Data and measurements were essential for demonstrating the performance of the materials.
“When you innovate, you constantly encounter boundaries. That is precisely why we need an environment like ConstrucThor,” says Thomas.
ConstrucThor
Why Thor Park Is the Ideal Home Base
For both Boolean and ConstrucThor, Thor Park feels like a natural location. The proximity of EnergyVille, research institutions, innovative companies, and testing platforms such as THOREAQ creates an ecosystem where ideas can grow and be tested more quickly.
Data from research projects can be connected to real-world environments, while new technologies can immediately find their way into realistic applications. In this process, ConstrucThor serves as an important link between fundamental research and practical implementation.
“Research alone is not enough. You need places where innovations can actually be tested and validated.” This cross-pollination is exactly what makes Thor Park so strong: researchers, entrepreneurs, and technology developers find each other more easily and strengthen one another’s work.
Ready for the Next Phase
Today, ConstrucThor has entered a new phase. The first measurements and research projects have been completed, the infrastructure is ready, and the focus is shifting toward generating insights that can benefit society.
For Boolean, the project has become much more than a reference case. It demonstrates how their expertise can be applied in complex, innovative environments and strengthens their position within the Thor Park ecosystem. Although the initial implementation has been completed, both parties are already looking ahead. KU Leuven intends to continue building on the knowledge that has been gained, while Boolean remains available for support and future expansions. “This project shows what becomes possible when research and industry truly connect. It would be fantastic to bring even more companies from the Thor Park community on board in the future,” says Tim.
In this way, ConstrucThor continues to grow into what it was always intended to be: a bridge between research and reality, where the construction sector of tomorrow is already being tested today.
