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SDU University of Southern Denmark, Campus Kolding
Kolding, Denmark, 2012-2014
Architects: Henning Larsen Architects
Client: The Danish University and Property Agency
Contractor: Jorton, Aarhus, Denmark
Structural Engineers: Orbicon
Landscape Architects: Kristine Jensens Tugnestue
As the new learning centre of excellence, Kolding Campus will house the courses in communications, design, culture and languages of the University of Southern Denmark. The building is located on the Gr.nborg grounds in the centre of Kolding close to the harbour, station and scenic attraction of the river. Kolding Campus will create a new central plaza by Kolding River and will thereby form a close interaction with the other educational institutions of the town, Kolding Design School and International Business College Kolding. The shape and facades of the building create a powerful dialogue between the inner life
of the building and the outside observer.
The facade is an integrated part of the building and together, they create a unique and varying expression. Inside in the five floor high atrium, the displaced position of the staircases and access balconies creates a special dynamics where the triangular shape repeats its pattern in a continuous variety of positions up through the different floors. The activities open up towards the town so that the
campus plaza and the interior study universe become one interconnected urban space with a green park at the back and a common recreational town plaza at the front.
The building features a number of sustainable initiatives, for instance cooling by means of water from Kolding River, mechanical low-energy ventilation and solar cells. The green areas are tied together in an ecological infrastructure, which will eventually become part of the research park. Strong focus has been on ensuring that the offices and group rooms on each floor is organized with offices and formal group rooms placed in the periphery. As required, these rooms can be opened up to the more vibrant study environment on the balconies just as the sliding doors make it possible to open up
the rooms in connection with presentations and meetings. The balconies are based on individual as well as group environments and are furnished by means of low dividing elements enabling students to study individually or in groups at work stations on the study balconies, in the lounge areas or in the enclosed
group rooms.
The objective behind the structure of all the floors has been to create cross-fields between professors, researchers and students while at the same time ensuring available areas for quite contemplation. By giving all users an errand on all floors, the number of cross-fields is maximized. The degree of community is up to each student. Everyone, researchers as well as students, has the opportunity to retire to the periphery or to be social and interact on the study balconies facing the atrium.
This feeling of community and energy comes off on users and on people's view on the University of Southern Denmark as a university of the future that assigns a high priority to access to knowledge and social intercourse. In all ways, the new University of Southern Denmark will appear as an exciting,
international study environment of benefit and inspiration to its users as well as the town of Kolding.
As regards the design of the building, the architects has not only minimized the need for energy for lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation; the architects have also focused on optimizing the passive properties of the building to allow for the shape and construction to contribute to solving some the tasks that would otherwise be solved by means of energy intensive technologies.
The daylight changes and varies during the course of the day and year. Thus, Kolding Campus is fitted with dynamic solar shading, which adjusts to the specific climate conditions and user patterns and provides optimal daylight and a comfortable indoor climate spaces along the facade. The solar shading system consists of approx. 1,600 triangular shutters of perforated steel. They are mounted on the facade in a way that allows them to adjust to the changing intensity of daylight and desired inflow of light. When the shutters are closed, they lie flat along the facade. They protrude from the facade when open as desired and when entirely open they provide the building with a very expressive appearance. The solar shading system is fitted with sensors that continuously measure light and heat levels and regulate the shutters mechanically by means of a small motor.