Faced with the multiple challenges that sustainable renovation in Brussels poses — technical complexity, environmental pressures, quality requirements, tight deadlines — increasing numbers of microstructures and SMEs in the construction sector are rethinking their practices. And at the heart of this dynamic of transformation, there’s one word we keep coming back to: collaboration. Done right, it becomes a real lever for growth, efficiency and innovation. But it also requires overcoming a number of cultural, structural and human obstacles.
Building together: a strategic and pragmatic choice
For Louis Tilmans, founder of Renovatti, an energy renovation company in Brussels, collaboration is first and foremost a necessity in the field: “In complex projects, especially those aiming for a high level of energy performance, it’s almost impossible to manage it alone. You have to be able to get support from others, share responsibilities and learn from others’ expertise.
In other words, the young entrepreneur from Brussels emphasises the need for more direct, fluid collaboration between the various players in the field: architects, EPB certifiers, design offices, project owners and contractors. “The ideal plan would be to work hand-in-hand right from the start of the project, in a more informal, horizontal dialogue, where everyone can make their voices heard and contribute, drawing on their own experience. We need to review certain agreements to enable these more open discussions,” he adds.
This logic has also shaped the development of EasyReno, a Brussels-based company that has transformed itself in just a few years from a player focused on managing subsidies to a global renovation operator. “What changed everything was our collaboration with Régis Gaspar,” says Timothée Morel, co-founder of EasyReno. “We started with a software development assignment. Two years later, we were partners. This cooperation has enabled us to structure our growth, expand our services and, above all, gain access to a network of players we would never have reached on our own.”
The added value of taking an integrated approach
For these companies, collaboration means more than just occasionally sharing tasks. It enables them to offer their customers a comprehensive, easy-to-understand range of services, from energy diagnostics and site supervision to permits and feasibility studies. This integrated model is winning over more and more project owners, who often feel lost in the administrative and technical complexity of a construction site.
“The end customer wants turnkey solutions, a single point of contact, a team that already knows each other. When we work with the right partners, we can meet this demand smoothly, quickly and consistently,” says Régis Gaspar, co-founder of OuiTransform. This structure supports companies that have a role to play in the environmentally responsible transformation of buildings. It acts as a development accelerator, facilitating collaboration between players in the sector, and investing in companies with high impact potential. This is particularly the case for EasyReno and for WattMatters, two structures in which OuiTransform has become a stakeholder.
“It’s also a way of achieving more ambitious results. Together, we’re aiming to renovate 30,000 homes in Brussels over the next few years, which is a goal that no small structure would be able to achieve on its own.”
An as-yet under-appreciated dynamic
Despite all these tangible benefits, collaboration in the sector is still too rare, or too fragile. For Louis Tilmans, this is due to the way the market is structured: “In general, it’s the customer who chooses an architect, who in turn works with a design office, and who then launches calls for tenders for the contractor. At that point, everything is already set. And yet, as general contractors, we have things we can contribute too, in terms of the choice of materials and technical constraints. When we are involved right from the outset, the project is better thought out, more economical and more consistent.”
The approach is still often segmented, and the collaborative model is still under-appreciated as a strategy in its own right. Timothée Morel believes there’s a real lack of recognition: “We still don’t talk enough about the cooperative ventures that work, even though they’re the ones that really change the game.”
Time, trust, compatibility: the obstacles to overcome
So why isn’t this dynamic spreading more quickly? First of all, lack of time. Smaller structures, often under pressure, struggle to keep their heads above water. “When you manage everything in-house, it’s difficult to free up time to meet new partners or think about collaboration,” admits Timothée Morel.
Then, there’s the question of trust. Working together means agreeing to share ideas, methods and sometimes mistakes. “If we don’t trust each other, we can’t build anything together,” emphasises Régis Gaspar. “And this trust doesn’t come from a contract or a PowerPoint presentation. It’s built in practice, on an initial project, by exchanging services, running a full-scale test.”
Finally, it’s important to ensure human compatibility. Working together also means working with different personalities, approaches and time frames. “What often makes the difference is ensuring our values are aligned and we have a shared ambition. When you have these two elements, you can move mountains,” he adds.
This is a feeling that’s fully shared by Louis Tilmans, who sees a hopeful generational shift: “Today, many professionals of my generation — in their thirties — are moving into decision-making positions, or setting up on their own. With them, things often run more smoothly. They are not locked into inflexible habits or old patterns. There’s a shared desire to get things moving, to work differently.” It’s a dynamic that could well, in the long term, radically change the way we work together in the sector.
The key role of clusters: bringing people together to make progress
In this context, sectoral clusters like ecobuild.brussels have an essential role to play. By organising events, project visits and informal gatherings, they enable professionals to meet each other, forge links and, in some cases, build together.
“Without the cluster, I would never have met some of the partners who have been key for my business,” says Timothée Morel. “Pitching events, round tables, workshops… these are powerful tools, because they create desire, inspiration and, above all, connections.”
But to ensure that collaboration doesn’t remain a mere intention, these structures must also help to make cooperative ventures more formal organisations. “It’s not just about bringing people together. It’s also important to help them structure their joint offering, clarify roles and build joint communications,” emphasises Régis Gaspar.
Practical collaboration with measurable results
More than just words, the initiatives undertaken show that collaboration is already a tangible reality in many corners of Brussels. EasyReno, for example, has developed an energy audit solution for co-owned properties, combining technical analysis, EPB simulation, cost estimates and recommendations. This project, which has become a department in its own right, would never have come about without the pooling of skills. “At the time, I had the idea, but didn’t have the resources to develop it on my own. It was by meeting Régis that I was able to structure the project, integrate automation, and develop it into a real support product,” explains Timothée Morel.
At Renovatti, another example illustrates the benefits of an integrated approach. “We had the opportunity to collaborate on a project, working in tandem right from the outset with an architect I knew well. Communication was straightforward, we were in direct dialogue about the choice of materials, and together we were able to come up with a response that was much more ambitious in environmental terms,” explains Louis Tilmans. This type of collaborative project, still all too rare, shows just how much the fluidity between partners can have a positive impact on final quality, costs and customer satisfaction.
An ambitious yet realistic vision
Both Renovatti and EasyReno run numerous collaborative projects: working groups on standardising energy renovations, setting up shared tools to optimise worksite preparation, and cooperating with architects to offer more eco-friendly renovations right from the design phase.
“I think we all stand to gain from this. The customer, who gets a clear and effective offer. The companies, who share their strengths. And the sector, which is making the shift to a sustainable transition ever more quickly,” concludes Louis Tilmans.
In this context, collaboration is not just an added extra. It’s a pragmatic response to the constraints of the present, and a guide for building the future.
What now?
Initiating collaboration often starts with a simple gesture: getting out of your office, going to see how things are done elsewhere, asking questions, sharing your doubts. It’s often in these informal moments that the best partnerships are born. This is also where the future of more human-focused, efficient and sustainable construction in Brussels is being played out, quiet but profound.
