In November 2025, Plus Ultra III officially opened on Wageningen Campus in the city of Wageningen, the Netherlands, completing the Plus Ultra cluster. Developed by Kadans Science Partner and designed by Proof of the Sum, the building is the Netherlands’ first laboratory facility constructed primarily from timber. From the outset, the project was conceived as more than a technical exercise, bringing together structural innovation, circular construction principles, building systems, and a spatial concept that supports collaboration and daily use.
With a total floor area of approximately 8,500 square metres, Plus Ultra III accommodates laboratories, offices, double-height pilot plants, and compact ‘tiny labs’. As a multi-tenant building, it houses start-ups, scale-ups, researchers, and students working across sustainability, agriculture, and food technology.
A timber-based structural concept
The structural system is based on engineered timber. Floors are formed in cross-laminated timber (CLT), while columns and most beams are also timber, creating a clear and flexible load-bearing grid. The structure is designed to be demountable, allowing elements to be adapted, reused, or disassembled in the future, supporting circular construction strategies.
The use of timber plays a significant role in the project’s environmental performance. Compared to a conventional concrete reference building, the load-bearing structure is reported as CO2-negative, with the timber storing carbon at completion. This results in a net biogenic CO2 storage of 206 kg CO2e per square metre of gross floor area, contributing to a notable reduction in the building’s overall lifecycle impact.
Pilot plants as visible research
The ground floor houses the pilot plants, designed as double-height spaces that connect directly to large façade openings. These areas allow passers-by to look into test kitchens and experimental environments where research takes place. Rather than separating research from public life on campus, the building presents it openly. This visibility establishes a direct relationship between Plus Ultra III and its surroundings, making research part of the daily experience of the campus.
A circular and expressive façade
The façade expresses the project’s circular construction approach. The building is clad with tiles made from 30,987 kilograms of upcycled post-consumer plastic. Developed specifically for this project, the tiles, known as Basic Third, repurpose waste material into an architectural product suitable for large-scale utilitarian buildings. Installed using a shiplap system, the façade allows for efficient assembly and future disassembly.
Subtle colour variations relate to the surrounding campus landscape, while the relief and overlapping configuration create depth and shadow across the façade. The envelope is designed to be robust, low-maintenance, and demountable, supporting material reuse over time.
Intelligent building systems
Indoor climate control is managed by an adaptive building system that regulates ventilation, heating, and cooling based on occupancy, internal heat loads, and solar orientation. System controls respond to patterns of use, supplying energy in line with demand. Differences in façade orientation are incorporated into system logic to support stable indoor conditions.
This approach is intended to limit operational energy use while maintaining conditions suitable for both laboratory and office environments.
Shared intimacy and interior life
Internally, Plus Ultra III is organised around a network of shared spaces. A clear route leads from the entrance towards a central atrium on the first floor, which acts as a key communal space within the building. Here, sightlines, circulation, and programmes converge, allowing interaction between different users as part of daily use.
A prominent staircase finished in dark bamboo marks this main route, contrasting with the lighter timber structure. Along the route, a series of spatial ‘pockets’ accommodate different modes of use, ranging from collaborative areas to quieter spaces for focused work. These pockets are distributed throughout the building rather than arranged in a fixed sequence, creating a varied interior condition. Warm colours, curved elements, and integrated planting moderate the structural grid within shared areas.
The entrepreneurs’ square
The exterior environment forms part of the overall project. The Entrepreneurs’ Square, shared by all three Plus Ultra buildings, is car-free and designed as a pedestrian-focused public space. Developed with atelier Loos van Vliet, the landscape includes layered planting, flowering perennials, and elements intended to support biodiversity.
Reclaimed mooring posts are reused as benches, positioned to align visually and functionally with the building atria. The square accommodates informal use and events, including temporary programmes such as food trucks.
A documented reference project
To mark its completion, a documentary was produced following the realisation of Plus Ultra III. Featuring contributions from the client, architect, and project partners, the film positions the building as a practical reference for sustainable architecture, demonstrating how timber construction, circular thinking, and social space can be integrated into a high-performance research environment.
