Hasselt PXL campuses

Hasselt University PXL, with 10,000 students and several campuses, is strongly committed to biodiversity and sustainability. The policy plan of the university college includes sustainability in all policy areas, so also in the facilities management of the various campuses. More specifically, it states the following objective: PXL University College turns all its campuses into lively state-of-the-art campuses with attention to climate- and energy-neutral buildings, green energy, sustainable mobility, greening, blackening, air quality, healthy noise levels, biodiversity, where there is room for campus life, community development, social and spatial interweaving with the city and region.
We are softening outdoor space, minimising paved surfaces, contributing to healthy water management, greening campuses and biodiversity in general.
Hogeschool PXL is currently an SDG champion and in time aims to become an SDG ambassador.
The campus in Diepenbeek acts as a living lab where buildings and the environment are used for research and education.
Intensive work on biodiversity is done within the Green Management course. PXL has long had an adapted mowing policy and no longer uses pesticides. This policy is structurally embedded in the college’s operations.
The university applies the ‘teach as you preach’ principle and is working on ambitious plans for the future. A new master plan, with implementation by 2028/2029, will make the campuses in Diepenbeek and Hasselt more traffic-free, reduce paving and ensure better water management. This plan is currently in the preparation phase.

The project currently entails in Hasselt 12 buildings with net infrastructure area of 7.2 ha and 13.9 ha of site area. In Diepenbeek 1 building and 4.85 ha site area.

Buildings and infrastructures

• As little alteration of the initial landscape as possible /as much naturalness as possible to replace grey and concrete surfaces (e.g. green roofs and walls, greening the surroundings, incorporating the existing landscape into the infrastructure).
• Use native species/subspecies that are more resilient and resistant to climate change, if appropriate
• Incorporate elements that are suitable for the local biodiversity
• The Greenovation project on the Hasselt campus is committed to softening and parking (essentially getting rid of the heat island that the campus still is today) with innovative water infiltration with permeable and semi-permeable soils with investments in innovative wadis as well as green facades and green roofs.

Adapted mowing management, control of invasive species, ensuring adaptation to the building for native species e.g. bats, placing insect hotels a.o. for solitary bees,…
Furthermore, a tender for green maintenance has been done, this is based on an image quality plan …