The new building, which was called Building K in the planning stage, connects Universum, Aula Nordica and the Science Building and strengthens Campus Umeå's physical identity. The 9,500 square metre building will cover five floors and contain examination halls with space for up to 540 people, which means that Umeå University will be able to gather all its examination rooms on the main campus for the first time. There will also be premises for teaching, offices, study places and a café.
"The need for new exam rooms in a central location on campus in Umeå has long been great, and it is gratifying that the work will now start. We look forward to having access to the new flexible premises when they are ready," says Hans Adolfsson, Vice-Chancellor of Umeå University.
Flexible premises for increased use of premises and reduced climate footprint
In order to be able to use the premises in the new building as efficiently as possible, they will have flexibility so that they can easily be converted to different activities. This means, among other things, that the examination halls can be converted into classrooms when the need increases, and conversely, that the classrooms can be used as examination halls during intensive examination periods. Through the high degree of generality and user flexibility, a sustainable building is created that is future-proofed over a long period of time.
"Building sustainably and long-term is always of paramount importance to Akademiska Hus, and we set high environmental standards in the development of all our construction projects. With a number of initiatives such as evaluating all system choices from a climate perspective and installing energy-efficient functions such as demand-controlled ventilation and lighting, we ensure that the new building will be a climate-smart building. We are also focusing on reuse and will reuse some materials from other buildings within our property portfolio," says Ali Ranji, Project Director at Akademiska Hus.
Sketch: LINK Arkitektur
The building's frame has also been optimized based on the activities that will be conducted in the premises and each part has been calculated to reduce material consumption. The concrete that will be used is green concrete, which is better for the environment than traditional concrete.
Another sustainability aspect that contributes to a reduced climate footprint is that the new building was originally intended to be larger than what will now be the case. By collecting data via sensors and booking systems and analysing how the university's existing premises can be used even better, Akademiska Hus and Umeå University have been able to significantly reduce the original need for new production.
The new building is expected to be completed in the spring of 2025. Akademiska Hus currently estimates its investment in the project at SEK 340 million.
Ali Ranji
Projektdirektör