Paul de Ruiter Architects has won the tender for a new multifunctional university building on Woudestein campus. The building on the new plaza will be completed in 2015 and will accommodate modern classrooms and study areas with a supermarket on the ground floor. The building is part of the new developments at Erasmus University Rotterdam aimed at creating a lively campus with international allure and a pleasant environment for study and work.
The building has been designed as a flexible structure which can incorporate an ‘alternating programme’; initially it will house the library, study areas and shops. Later the building will accommodate the scientific community.
Flexible and future-ready The university building designed by Paul de Ruiter is prominently positioned on the new main axis, where indoors and outdoors merge as much as possible. From the Plaza, students and visitors have free and unobstructed access to the atrium. One of the main aims of the design is to organise the relationship between indoors and outdoors on a human scale. Accessibility, transparency, overview, daylight and visibility are key to this endeavour.
New master plan For the campus, a new master plan has been created by Juurlink [+] Geluk and bureau Jvantspijker. The new campus will be divided into a rural and an urban area. A new main axis - the Plaza – will dissect the campus and alongside the teaching functions, there will also be various shops, repro, restaurants and the new student pavilion. Some parking facilities will be concentrated under the Plaza, providing space above for pedestrians and cyclists. The first part of the new master plan will be completed in the summer of 2013: the first part of the Plaza with the parking garage underneath, a new terrain and the student pavilion. Students arriving to start their studies at Erasmus University in September 2013 will already be able to use the grand café, central meeting places, a food court and a supermarket.
Visual interaction The layered facade design, consisting of vertical lamella and receded glass areas, plays an important role here. When someone passes the building, the facade opens or closes, creating an exciting and dynamic look. The abundant use of glass emphasises the open character of the building and strengthens the visual interaction and connection with the surroundings. In terms of materials, alignment is sought with the existing buildings and natural, intrinsic colours are used. In the vision of Paul de Ruiter, the architecture of the university building of the future may be subdued, but its image is that of an important knowledge icon.
Sustainable The new university building will have a sustainable climate installation, optimal insulation, natural ventilation and a minimal technical installation, following the principle ‘natural if possible, mechanical if necessary’. Sustainable techniques like geothermal heat-cold storage, control facilities, optimal daylight, energy recycling and smart lighting are all aimed at achieving a very energy-efficient building. A GPR score of 8.5 is targeted to test the sustainable ambitions.
