Learning and integration. Education Centre University of Groningen by KAAN Architecten

Description of project by KAAN Architecten

KAAN Architecten, together with partners abtWassenaar, Sweegers en De Bruijn, Peutz, and contractors Hegeman / De Groot Installatiegroep is in the final design stages of the new Education Centre for the University of Groningen’s Faculty of Medical Sciences (UMCG) and Faculty of Science and Engineering. The welcoming new 12,000 m2 building will house more than 2000 students and staff and unify the various branches and users of the Healthy Ageing Campus under one roof. 

The various university buildings located at the northern end of the UMCG area have expanded over the years into a succession of big research and university buildings with a complex internal organisation and lacking quality public spaces. The new Education Centre will re-establish a connection with the historical city centre of Groningen and weave the new Healthy Ageing Campus into its urban fabric. It is the first building to be realised in a series planned for the area between the ERIBA* building, the MWF** complex, UMCG’s proton therapy centre and the future University College. The structure here will be an injection of quality to the northern entrance of the Healthy Ageing Campus. A public square and spacious foyer will serve as the reception area for the whole campus and naturally reconnect the existing buildings around campus with each other. Along with this, the Centre’s welcoming facade and lively programme will be the catalyst that gives the campus a new face.

The Education Centre encourages students to come to campus, not just for the lessons but also to spend the day here interacting, studying, relaxing or enjoying a meal. This is supported by various study and meeting spaces, from open and dynamic group workstations to sheltered individual spaces for concentrated work. With these amenities, the relaxed and informal space in the Centre fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing. In addition, the building will have a food court, auditorium, lecture halls, project spaces, computer rooms, meeting rooms, a Skills Lab, an independent commercial area, and a large basement for bicycle parking.

The architectural design consists of five volumes that link up with the central foyer on both ground and first floors. The foyer itself is framed by a transparent facade facing the square and several green patios. The positioning of the volumes to house the different educational programmes was determined by important sightlines and the desired spatiality of the complex. The patios mark the transition to existing buildings at different levels and introduce light into the lower floors. The foyer always provides a view to the outside and the other buildings, allowing users to understand the complex naturally. Travelling further through the foyer leads to the ‘study tower’ where stairs and study spaces look over the city centre. The large, deep windows here offer a play of openings with a diversity of satisfying views. Meandering stairs that rise behind the tower’s facade connect the educational functions of every floor. Finally, the building’s pleasant and partly accessible green roofscape can be seen from the education centre and the existing faculty buildings, strengthening the green heart of the campus. 

Ease of access, high comfort levels, sufficient daylight, and green views ensure a healthy and sustainable environment. A range of sustainable materials with a low environmental impact throughout the building’s life-cycle will be visible: natural materials that change over time but age well, in keeping with the ethos of the Healthy Ageing Campus. The foyer, with its high ceiling and roof construction semi-visible through the metal mesh, will be brightened by subtle daylight penetrating through the skylights above and the facade’s glazing; and the ceiling continues into a protective cantilever over the entrance on the square. Brick walls combined with smooth yet tactile exposed concrete will define the space and imbue it with a robust urban feel while still being a friendly interior space. In contrast to the foyer, the teaching spaces will be clad in wood to give them a light, natural and healthy ambience.

The programme has been rationally organised within the five brick volumes and with enough flexibility to allow easy changes to the spatial arrangement in the future. Two of the three lecture halls consist of platforms rather than fixed seating, making different types of teaching settings possible. The tower’s standardised grid with a finer grid of technical installations and a larger structural span also allow for various spatial arrangements. 

“Educational buildings are always an exciting architectural challenge, and we couldn’t be more delighted to bring our concept to life. The new Centre will bring fresh identity to this part of the campus while connecting and reinforcing the surrounding buildings.”

Vincent Panhuysen, founding partner of KAAN Architecten.

The Education Centre at the University of Groningen is the latest project dedicated to higher education and research designed by KAAN Architecten. Other similar projects include the CUBE – Education and Self Study Centre at Tilburg University and the Erasmus MC Education Centre in Rotterdam’s Erasmus hospital complex.