cepezed and rds partner design university building in greifswald

The Institute of Geography and Geology and the Seminar and Media Centre (SMZ) at the University of Greifswald are to be given new premises. These will be pleasant places to attend lectures, conduct laboratory research, meet up and visit conferences. A pattern of horizontal slats on the façade alludes to geological strata.

zusammen getrennt
The Institute of Geography and Geology and the Seminar and Media Centre (SMZ) are set to be centrally located on campus, next to the university library. The design credo of our design and build consortium with RDS Partners - common ground architects - is ‘zusammen getrennt’, translating to separate yet together. This is reflected, among other things, in the façade cladding of light-coloured slats. They are bundled more playfully at the SMZ than at the institute, yet the distinctive form ensures unity. The central entrance is located on a small square, at a setback in the SMZ, and continues into the daylight-filled passerelle between the two volumes. 

pavilion
The SMZ is designed as a two-storey pavilion and, as a conference centre, serves as a general representative of the campus. In addition to a spacious entrance hall, the building houses lecture halls and a freely accessible exhibition space, which is clearly visible from the outside. The extensive collection of historical maps, unusual stones and art, which until now had been stored in various locations, will have its own depot in the basement. The green roof of the pavilion is intended for scientific measurements and other research.

institute
The much larger and taller institute houses offices, small lecture rooms, laboratories and specialized practical work areas. The building has a large roof garden on the first floor, which opens onto the neighbouring science arboretum, with U-shaped floors surrounding it. This elevated outdoor space is an intimate place to take a break. Each floor has space reserved for communication: a strategically located place where people can easily meet and where the furnishings encourage them to linger.

historical context
The University of Greifswald, located in the far north-east of Germany, was founded in 1456. Construction of the campus and the arboretum began some 100 years ago, while teaching and research also continue to take place in historic buildings in the city centre. The university is known for its high academic standards. 
The client is the Ministry of Finance of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, represented by the State Office for Construction and Real Estate Greifswald, in close coordination with the university as user. We are pleased to realise this project in this context together with RDS Partner.

sustainable
The sustainability ambition for the building is BNB Silver, an ambitious target for a building with laboratories. These targets will be achieved through measures such as planting and PV panels on the roof, adaptable floor plans, windows that can be opened, and a detachable construction. SMZ is timber construction, in keeping with the pavilion character. Where possible, we use bio-based and recycled materials, and the east-west orientation has been taken into account in the positioning of functions to avoid excessive heat and the need for ventilation. common ground architects is collaborating with Buro Happold (MEP), ISP Scholz (construction) and MNP Ingenieure (sustainability).