schmidt hammer lassen to realize dynamic campus for utrecht university of applied sciences

schmidt hammer lassen to realize dynamic campus for utrecht university of applied sciences
all images courtesy of schmidt hammer lassen architects

schmidt hammer lassen has won an international competition to develop a new facility for the university of applied sciences in utrecht, the netherlands. once completed, it will be located on the campus among building designs by firms including OMA, UNStudio and mecanoo. the educational facility will host seven institutes as well as university programs.

the building faces the adjacent buildings with a series of green terraces and roof gardens

the new building will offer two large 200+ seat auditoriums, two smaller auditoriums, TV / radio studios, a knowledge center, classrooms, café, food shops and parking for more than 1,200 bicycles. additionally, a new internal courtyard facing the neighboring student housing will seamlessly it to connect with the existing buildings on site.

‘we have created a strong and clear gable motif that forms the final end of the kasbah masterplan. the building yields to the adjacent buildings with a series of green terraces and roof gardens. coherence with the surrounding campus is achieved by the use of a similar floor-tiling outside and inside on the building’s ground floor, which acts as a large open piazza with cafes, conference center, amphitheater and lecture halls,’ explains kristian ahlmark, senior partner at schmidt hammer lassen.

the atrium becomes the building’s meeting place where paths cross and experiences are shared

the façade of the building will be clad in light concave and convex panels of anodized aluminum in seven warm colors: each tone representing one of the seven institutes. with all general functions situated on the ground floor. the institutes all connect at the core of the central atrium. on each floor, ‘academic bookshelves’ containing smaller meeting rooms and study cells serve as gateways to classrooms and offices via a walkway.

the general programs are situated on the ground floor, the seven different institutes are spread over the other