Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology BELGIUM: Copeland has announced the closure of its Welkenraedt commercial air conditioning and refrigeration compressor factory Up to 227 of the current 316 employees will lose their jobs with the company claiming that increasing pressure on prices and production costs means it is no longer competitive “Despite the considerable efforts made at the Welkenraedt site to reduce its costs the company is forced to recognise that these actions are insufficient to remain competitive and viable in the European market with products manufactured in Welkenraedt,” Copeland said The company says that the research and development department will remain in Welkenraedt with with the intention to build a new R&D centre in the region The current production of large commercial compressors systems will be transferred to other Copeland sites.  The Welkenraedt factory was originally built by the Copeland Corporation in 1970 to produce four- six- and eight-cylinder semi-hermetic compressors private equity firm Blackstone completed the purchase of the Copeland business from Emerson Cooling Post is the leading online resource covering latest news and developments in the cooling industry air conditioning news and the latest heat pump developments Privacy & Cookie Policy © Copyright 2025, Cooling Post Ltd - All Rights Reserved | Website by Capital Web Daniel Dethier has surprised us with this crematorium in Welkenraedt Families go bad times in this building due to the loss of a loved one symbolism and finishes enhance these difficult times This building raises the level of architectonic of buildings whose program is linked with death or cremation because currently leave a lot to be desired.. Description of project by Dethier Architecture Dethier Architectures was awarded this project after a European-wide invited competition We developed a very specific concept for a funeral home and landscaped cemetery The landscape guided the architectural composition of the funeral centre "We designed an ensemble where individuals can come together a place where feelings are nurtured by the relationship between the landscape which appear to emerge from the ground and organically find their place." The Welkenraedt funeral centre consists of two main structures that interconnect beneath a broad planted roof The smaller of the two contains a cafeteria and associated dining areas while the larger structure houses chapels on the ground floor and technical areas and cremation facilities in the basement a caretaker's residence blends with both the contours of the site and the formal aspects of the main building Particular attention has been paid to the harmony of the volumes and their interconnections The result – a feeling of balance and reassurance – is reinforced by the finishing of the concrete walls Curves are a preferred means of expression including in doorframes and the bases of walls The tranquillity this affords is not antithetical to the communicative strength of the tower that emerges from the central building The tower is used to conceal the chimneys of the cremation facilities while providing natural ventilation to the chapels and bringing light down into the building's core we find the same skilful blending of technical aspects and detailed finishings the entire structure has been fitted with a sophisticated system for providing natural ventilation to both buildings The layout emphasises the flexibility of the interior spaces the passageway design and the moveable partitions mean that reception rooms can be isolated one from another or joined together The placement of the chapels offers a similar level of flexibility in this case by the introduction of rotating partitions between the three spaces while the intermediate and smaller areas are more private and are bathed in light coming from above The acoustics were specifically designed to give the chapels a more solemn feeling through an extended reverberation time while offering greater intimacy in the more absorbent reception zones One of the cornerstones of the project is the integration of the site into the natural environment which incorporates vast floor-to-ceiling windows that give onto the outside The concept of transition is a key architectural element which is underscored by the impression that the buildings are rising from the earth It can also be seen in the design of the roof which "unfurls" in harmony with the topography and continues out over the footprint of the buildings providing shelter for open-air zones in continuity with the environment Views of the landscape thus extend throughout the buildings reveal and bring together the various peripheral spaces The natural site where the funeral centre is located consists of more than six hectares of land working in close collaboration with landscape architect Erik Dhont sensitive manner – access roads lined with banks of indigenous species lead visitors to parking areas the entire landscape design was conceived to bring together the site's various functions (cemetery crematorium and the original natural site with its specific biotope) into a carefully-composed whole where each area appears to have been placed there in a simple The various types of burial places have also been thoughtfully designed In keeping with his approach of artistic integration which he has advocated since the very beginning of his career Daniel Dethier asked Nicolas Kozakis to join his team in the design process His participation resulted in design elements that appear on the centre's ceiling and on the walls of the cremation ovens Main architect.- Daniel Dethier.Team collaborators.- Nicolas Kozakis (artist) Erik Dhont (landscape architect).Date.- 2012 (completion) 2010 (study).Surface.- 3.290 m² (inside area) 28.944 m² (outside area).Site.- Welkenraedt Daniel Dethier se graduó en 1979 en arquitectura e ingeniería civil en 1979 justo después fue un arquitecto independiente y ayudante de Cátedra de Composición del Profesor Englebert Su doble vocación de investigador (continuando con sus estudios en la planificación de la ciudad) y profesional de inmediato caracterizaron el procedimiento que se sigue aplicando en la actualidad para el ejercicio de un mandato en la University of Brussel En 1992 fundó Dethier Architecture y él se unió a Thomas Faes en el año 2005 En el estudio trabajan entre 5 y 10 personas que conforman un equipo con una serie de habilidades complementarias complementado regularmente por colaboradores exteriores en zonas más amplias relacionadas con la arquitectura (artistas Archive Art GERMANY: Emerson has announced the sudden death of Jean Janssen president of its Commercial & Residential Solutions Europe business.  Jean Janssen began his career at Emerson in 1984 as manager – plant engineering at its Copeland plant in Welkenraedt Following several steps of increasing responsibility he was appointed president of Emerson Climate Technologies for Europe in 2007 In 2016 his leadership duties were expanded to president of the overall Emerson Commercial and Residential Solutions business platform in Europe He was also president – Emerson Europe which gave him the additional responsibility for Emerson’s corporate operations and strategic development in the region The Emerson Climate Europe Management Board recently honoured Jean Janssen’s accomplishments and personality: “Jean was not only a great role model with a high level of competence and expertise but he was also very close to us on a personal level and always had an open ear for the concerns of his employees He leaves a big gap in our hearts and in the company