Coordinating Engineering and People

Metzeschmelz is a large-scale urban development project. This new district, built on a former steelmaking site, presents numerous challenges and constraints. Effective coordination between all stakeholders is essential. We met the LSC360 experts leading this mission: Samuel Majerus, Jimmy Reinert and Pit Thines.  

What are the major engineering challenges facing the Grand Duchy today?  

Samuel Majerus: I would say the greatest challenge is reconciling the ever-growing demand for infrastructure with the need to minimise resource consumption. We need to build more, and build faster, while complying with regulations that require us to “slow down” from an energy perspective.  

Jimmy Reinert: Another challenge is the growing number of disciplines and stakeholders involved in a single project. Back in the 1980s, there were only three: the architect, the structural engineer and the building services engineer. Today, there can be as many as 15, including acousticians, environmental specialists and water experts. That requires a tremendous amount of coordination.  

You play a key role in the Metzeschmelz project. Could you tell us more about it?  

SM: Metzeschmelz is a former steelmaking brownfield site that Agora, a development company equally owned by ArcelorMittal and the Luxembourg State, has been tasked with transforming into a new mixed-use, sustainable district. It is being designed on a human scale, centred around a low-car neighbourhood core, where existing heritage buildings will be preserved and repurposed rather than demolished.  

Pit Thines: The site covers approximately 63 hectares and will accommodate housing, retail spaces, public facilities, leisure areas and green spaces. Societal impact, environmental performance and the principles of the circular economy are central to the development of the district.  

JR: One of the project’s defining characteristics is that we are not starting with a blank sheet of paper. Like Belval, the site has a strong industrial heritage and presents a complex set of logistical and environmental constraints that must first be understood before it can be transformed.  

How did LSC360 become involved in the project, and what are your responsibilities?  

SM: Following the urban planning competition organised by Agora, LSC360 was selected alongside COBE and Urban Agency. The strength of our proposal lay precisely in our understanding of the site’s industrial legacy, which Jimmy mentioned earlier. We were also familiar with some of the challenges encountered at Belval and were therefore able to propose solutions designed to avoid similar issues on this project.  

JR: More than 20 years separate the two projects. The world has changed, as have expectations regarding urban planning and mobility. It was therefore essential to integrate these new realities into the project.  

SM: We are involved across several areas with a cross-disciplinary role: urban planning, environmental engineering, mobility, water management and stormwater drainage, the circular economy, material inventories, deconstruction and, finally, technical coordination.  

“The site has a strong industrial heritage and presents a complex set of logistical and environmental constraints that must be understood before it can be transformed.” Jimmy Reinert, Department Coordinator – Project Management, LSC360  

What were the main challenges, and how did you overcome them?  

JR: The challenge is not simply to demolish buildings but to deconstruct them, meaning we identify what can be preserved, reused, recycled or recovered, while taking technical, environmental and regulatory constraints into account. To support this approach, we are carrying out a carbon assessment of the ongoing works.  

PT: We also had to assess the structural integrity and load-bearing capacity of the existing buildings. Some structures absolutely had to be preserved at all cost, even though they were sometimes located immediately next to others that had to be deconstructed. The complexity increases further when underground structures are involved. Excavation often reveals unexpected constraints, requiring us to develop appropriate technical solutions.  

SM: Another major challenge is coordinating all the different disciplines over the long term. A project of this scale involves numerous public and private stakeholders, a wide range of expertise and a long-term vision. Maintaining consistency between the urban ambitions, technical constraints, administrative procedures, permitting requirements and on-site realities is therefore essential.  

“Beyond technical expertise, human skills are the most important. They are what bring people together and maintain cohesion over the long term.” Samuel Majerus, Head of Division – Environment & Sustainability, LSC360  

What are the key skills required for a project of this nature?  

JR: Engineering expertise alone is not enough. You also need to understand your client’s vision, know where they want to go and provide the right advice to help them achieve it.  

PT: It is essential to maintain a holistic vision throughout the project. That is why having a partner capable of bringing all the issues together and coordinating the different stakeholders is absolutely critical.  

SM: Beyond technical expertise, I would say that human skills are the most important. They are what bring people together and keep a project cohesive over five, ten or even fifteen years. 

“What sets us apart is our 360° technical approach, which enables us to understand projects in their entirety.” Pit Thines, Head of Division – Building, LSC360  

What makes LSC360 stand out in the Luxembourg market?  

PT: Our strength lies in our 360° approach. We have extensive in-house expertise covering environmental engineering, urban planning, infrastructure, buildings, mobility, geospatial data, energy, circularity and resilience. This enables us to understand projects as complete systems.  

JR: We do not focus on a single technical aspect. We consider the entire system: the site, its uses, its constraints, its resources, permitting requirements, costs and long-term sustainability.  

SM: On a project such as Metzeschmelz, this integrated approach is essential. You need to be able to discuss urban planning, deconstruction, materials, water management, mobility, environmental issues and implementation. Our added value lies in our ability to connect all these disciplines. For our client, this means having a single point of contact, saving both time and improving efficiency. 

Article published on paperjam.lu

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