Cordeel Group, the Belgian family-owned construction company that has grown into a European one-stop shop with various specialized subsidiaries, is pioneering an innovative new concept for logistics warehouses: NEXUS Logistics. It combines expertise from various domains to set a new sustainability standard in logistics. From bio-based materials and circular construction techniques to thoughtful energy use, biodiversity, and maximum adaptability, everything has been considered.
Founded in 1934 by patriarch Ghislain Cordeel as a carpentry workshop, Cordeel has grown over the years into one of the largest construction groups in Belgium, now also active on a European scale. Still an independent player, the family business today includes various subsidiaries, alliances, and joint ventures with diverse expertise, enabling it to manage the construction process from start to finish, including design, technical support, delivery, and maintenance.
Today, Cordeel Group brings all this expertise and knowledge together in NEXUS Logistics, setting a new standard for building sustainable, future-proof logistics warehouses. Every detail is thoroughly considered, with an extensive analysis of the full lifecycle of the different components.
Nexus Logistics of the Future
“Cordeel has a long history of expertise in designing and building logistics warehouses. With the launch of NEXUS Logistics, we are taking it a step further: bridging to the logistics of the future. We consolidate all the knowledge and skills from our individual companies into a future-proof total concept. This allows us to quickly deliver a highly sustainable, circular, and modular warehouse tailored to each customer’s specific needs. In doing so, we not only reduce the ecological footprint and energy costs for our clients but also make their operations future-ready for tomorrow’s logistical challenges,” says Kevin De Hainaut, CEO of Cordeel Belgium. “This is only possible through a strong focus on sustainability and by fully utilizing synergies within the Cordeel Group.”
Rather than starting from a fixed set of building blocks, Cordeel’s in-house “design & build” team collaborates with clients to develop the perfect warehouse based on their unique needs. Behind the scenes, a degree of standardization (e.g., at the BIM level) and integration within the group’s ecosystem ensures everything is optimally aligned.
Sustainable, Future-proof, and Fast
The NEXUS Logistics concept stands out for being:
- Sustainable:
- Energy consumption of techniques is limited to 20 kWh/m²/year, significantly lower than the industry average of 70 kWh/m²/year from a few years ago.
- Energy-efficient heating and cooling technologies using 100% heat pump technology with low GWP refrigerants.
- Low-temperature heat and cold delivery systems for maximum climate comfort and demand-controlled ventilation with heat recovery.
- Smart LED lighting with occupancy and daylight controls.
- Option for solar panel installation, optimally scaled to user needs.
- Infrastructure for charging passenger cars and trucks, with phased expansion possible.
- Easy integration of a stationary battery system into the building’s electrical network, tailored to user needs.
- Monitoring of energy flows integrated into the Building Management System, expandable into a full-fledged Energy Management System to reduce overall energy costs.
- Low Embodied Carbon:
- CO₂ emissions from materials are reduced to 178 kg CO₂/m², a 38% reduction compared to conventional concrete warehouses. Achieved through bio-based materials (e.g., facade insulation, paints, and wooden beams) and low-emission materials (e.g., low-carbon steel decking). Prefabricated concrete elements produced by C-concrete use green concrete.
- Future-proof:
- Circular and modular design allows adaptation, expansion, or downsizing according to business needs without material loss. Internal layouts can also be modified easily.
- Aligned with EU taxonomy and BREEAM Excellent standards.
- Fast:
- Detailed preparation using a template BIM model incorporating all possible execution details.
- Optimized collaboration within the diverse ecosystem of Cordeel Group ensures seamless alignment of techniques and companies.
- Extensive use of prefabrication, such as combining concrete with wood for warehouse structures.
