At all levels of design – from the planning of the external surfaces, through the building, its structure and technology, to the selection of materials, details and ambient qualities – the competition proposal realises what we call the exemplary future of buildings for higher education and research. Although this is an investment that is incomparable to the major projects under way at the same time (UL FV, UL FFA, UL FS, etc.), its commitment to sustainable objectives could be a shining example for all future investments.
Spatial arrangement
By adding an extension to an existing, relatively simple, architecturally unambitious and conceptually unexpressive building, the aim was to create a physically, conceptually and formally cohesive education centre of appropriate expression. At the same time, we wanted to go beyond the practice of modern business and craft zones on the outskirts of cities, where the complete absence of quality outdoor space prevails, and its design is limited to the mass of parked cars.
The new extension is designed as a three-storey building with a volume that does not attempt to overwhelm the existing building, in line with the programme. The direction of the added building bay follows that of the existing, with a single covered entrance in the gap between the two volumes, accessible from both the north and the south, and without requiring any significant changes to the existing building footprint.
In order to preserve as much green space as possible, the solution foresees parking spaces paved with so-called grass slabs – perforated concrete paving slabs with a grassed area in between. This solution, together with the ‘hills’ of trees and shrubs provided, significantly improves the living comfort (more pleasant environment, less overheating). The southern functional area is designed as a unified external space of the faculty, where the subtle alternation of different paved and green areas suggests mergers and divisions of space use – from driveways to car parks, access to existing laboratories, outdoor gathering spaces, green gaps, pedestrian walkways, test facilities, etc. The access road on the south side of the education centre is thus part of a unified layout, rather than an asphalt line cutting through the area.
Structural design
The structural design of the building is based on a simple and clean architectural idea, which is also reflected in the construction. The basic principle is based on the assessment of the use of building materials in the light of LCA analysis and the concept of a universal structure, which allows a wide and open use of the building throughout its lifetime. The building is divided into three structural sets, which primarily follow the principle of long-term adaptability of the building to new contents.
Above the foundations, the structure is designed with a central concrete core serving communications and side wings with classrooms of timber construction. The central wing consists of reinforced concrete vertical structures, walls, reinforced concrete slabs with upward facing beams and staircases. The reinforced concrete part of the structure bears the full seismic load, the majority of which is borne by the walls.
The construction of the edge tracts consists of wooden glulam columns running continuously through all floors, wooden glulam beams in the longitudinal axes and unidirectional load-bearing wooden hollow slabs with a total thickness of 36 cm, which, under the anticipated loads, is sufficient for a fire resistance of 60 minutes and allows the installation to be routed through the hollow space of the slab.
The north and south wings are designed to allow complete flexibility of the interior partitioning. The depth of the inner row of columns is used to accommodate classroom equipment, benches and small inventory in the lecture rooms, while the depth of the outer row of columns is used to accommodate external shading.
Ambient interior design
The design of the building was primarily determined by the direction of the existing building cornice, which was also taken over by the new extension. The basic idea of the building is based on its purity, coherence and legibility. The central circulation space is unified – it runs in a west-east direction and unites the entrance lobby, all staircases and connecting corridors into a ‘vertical’ vestibule of the entire programme of the new building. It is connected to it by spaces on the north and south sides. Innovatively positioned staircases, which allow visual connectivity through all three floors, at the same time ensure fast physical connectivity and simplify safe evacuation without additional fire escapes.
The Communication Space is designed as a central social space, illuminated by two rooflights, direct light on the east and west sides, and indirect light through an innovatively designed wall that separates it from the programme spaces on the north and south sides. The design was inspired by the principle of “one open space”, promoted in Slovenia by architect Emil Navinšek. The concept was complemented by t. i. The “interactive perimeter” – a series of furniture and wall deep elements offering seating niches, storage space for office and study equipment, exhibits and innovative achievements by staff and students. We have called the central space the “study space of the future” because its openness, connectivity, lighting and furnishings allow for very flexible use – as a contextual extension of the classroom, a space for informal group work, socialising during breaks, conversations between teachers and students, etc. It is therefore much more than a communication space – it represents the intellectual heart of the new faculty.
The faculty programme is arranged along the communication core, with the areas that are more frequented by large numbers of people, i.e. lecture theatres, working laboratories, classrooms and the library, located on the northern side. This ensures that they work in conditions free from overheating and solar glare. The south side is mainly occupied by spaces where users are not present all the time (offices, common lounges, etc.) and smaller spaces where it is easier to adapt the micro-working conditions made possible by the design of the façade envelope on the south side of the building.
The vertical layout of the content took into account accessibility, connectivity to the outdoors and the need for a quieter environment. Thus, on the ground floor, on the north side, there are laboratories with access for deliveries, and on the south side there are social spaces that connect to the outdoor social space in the warmer months. The central part of the building consists of lecture theatres, classrooms and offices, while the top floor is dedicated to the library and the Faculty administration offices.
Façade envelope innovation
The basic façade material is carbonised timber, which protects the exposed load-bearing structure and forms overhangs, hoods and partially flexible external blinds. Carbonised (fired) timber is similar to thermally modified timber, but has a significantly longer service life, a stable shape, higher strength and better weather resistance. Based on a multi-factorial assessment, it was chosen as the most suitable material as it follows the principle of the predominance of biogenic materials.
The south façade allows for flexible, motorised shading with vertically positioned wooden “panels” connected to a common mechanism, while the north façade is oriented entirely towards the Libeň hill and the surrounding cultural landscape. The eastern façade has fixed blinds oriented to the south-east. The façade also has a full parapet with mechanically controlled fresh air inlets, except on the ground floor on the south side.
On t. i. “The ‘fifth façade’ (roof) has two rooflights to allow natural ventilation. It will be verified in the P&I phase by CFD analysis whether they will be implemented as open skylights with external shading or as solar chimneys with an additional thermal barrier and internal shading. The Vrbina industrial zone in Krk, with its mix of agrarian and non-invasive industrial areas, represents a specific space of the future city. The use of sustainable materials symbolically links nature and man.
Design of the external layout
The external space is conceived as a unified perceived area, including the access road, parking areas, the entrance to the building, access to the laboratories and areas for pedestrian movement, lingering and socialising. The solution envisages a ‘patchwork’ layout – a composition of different paved areas forming the entrance hall of the building. The road surfaces are not asphalted, but paved with materials that facilitate maintenance. The circulation areas subtly transition into the users’ gathering spaces through the paving patterns. Pockets of intensive greenery with trees serving as shading are woven into this pattern.
Particular attention is paid to storm water management. The alternation of paved and drainage strips allows water to soak in naturally. Roof water is collected in an underground cistern for watering high vegetation.
Energy concept
Various computational analyses have been carried out to optimise the energy performance of the design. The CFD analysis showed that the wind pressure on the south and north façades is adequate to take advantage of the natural ventilation. The energy design of the building is based on a compact and efficient architectural solution and the use of geothermal and solar energy in combination with a photovoltaic power plant on the roof.
Daylight and artificial light optimisation concept
All rooms in the building are naturally and mechanically lit, including the toilets. We propose to use LED luminaires with DALI control. Each room is equipped with a light sensor and the luminaires have an extended light spectrum (HCL). The luminous intensity and colour temperature of the light are adjusted according to the amount and quality of daylight, thus ensuring the required illumination. In addition, individual control is possible. We propose the use of freestanding luminaires with bi-directional luminous flux for direct and indirect lighting. Such luminaires in themselves contain the necessary control equipment. The luminaires on the communication routes shall be equipped with motion sensors and time delay.
Inside, the work and teaching areas are further protected by screen blinds. On the south side, the shades are semi-transparent – letting in daylight while preventing glare. On the north side, where lecture rooms predominate, blackout shades are installed on the inside of the glass.
The zenithal natural lighting of the central two staircases provides a sufficiently high level of natural lighting throughout the working day, even in the centre of the building. Therefore, artificial lighting in this area will mainly only be used in the evening and early morning.
The concept of dismantling, decommissioning and recycling of building elements at the end of their useful life – Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
The LCA was carried out on the basis of a BIM model with realistic building assemblies and using DesignLCA® software from Formfaktor ApS, Denmark. The software is designed for assessment at conceptual design level, taking into account phases A1-A3, B1, C1-C4 and D. The EPD data was extracted from Ökodat.de database. A lifetime of 50 years was considered and the energy balance was verified with the Star Energy Simulation tool. The total GWP is estimated to be about 133,000 kg CO₂e, which translates to about 1.05 kg CO₂e/m²/year.
The global target is to reduce emissions to less than 10 kg CO₂e/m²/year for new and renovated buildings by 2050, with Denmark already setting the threshold at 5 kg in 2029. As the LCA has been carried out on the basis of a conceptual design, which does not yet include all detailed solutions, transport costs and the actual impacts of the construction process (estimated at +20%), and taking into account the fact that the proposed choice of materials is optimal, it can be expected with a high degree of certainty that we will achieve an extremely low GWP of around 3-5 kg CO₂e/m²/year in the implementation decision phase and possible price optimisation.
Very low GWP is achieved through the following measures: careful choice of building materials, with a preference for biogenic and recyclable materials, compact and highly energy-efficient design, the use of geothermal and solar energy in combination with a photovoltaic plant on the roof of the building, and the use of electricity from a nuclear power plant with zero GWP.
Concept to reduce cleaning and maintenance costs
The measures envisaged to reduce the costs of cleaning and maintenance of the building are as follows:
- All rooms are simple in design.
- The floor under furniture elements shall be freely accessible where possible (except under technological equipment in laboratories).
- All wear surfaces are made of materials with a characteristic texture that comes from the depth of the material (natural wood, concrete), which reduces the visibility of wear.
- Glass surfaces in the interior are positioned below and above the frequency touch zone.
- The façade envelope is divided into 1.2-1.5 m wide inward-opening window elements for easy maintenance.
- Facade cladding materials are of biogenic origin and their ageing and colour modification contribute to the aesthetic expression of the building throughout its lifetime.
The façade glazing is divided into 90 cm wide bays on the north side and 145 cm wide bays on the south side. This division reduces the cost of the window elements (glass thickness, frame load-bearing capacity), allows the windows to be opened and cleaned from the outside, and allows for long-term flexibility in the layout of the internal partition walls according to possible changes in the programme over the lifetime of the building.
Architecture by BLENKUŠ Matej, CIMPERMAN Katja, CIFER Aleksander
| Project year: | 2025 |
| Customer: | University of Maribor |
| Collaborators: | Grega Valenčič, Sara Ambruš, Alja Bedenik, Val Brudar, David Dobovšek |
| Static: | Uroš Žvan |
| Other colleagues – engineers: | Matej Polanc, Nikola Petrovic, Dr. Simon Muhič |
| Visualisation: | Grega Valenčič |
| Awards, publications: | 2nd prize in the open competition |
