On the University of Bonn’s newly developed Poppelsdorf campus, a new building is being constructed to replace the General Teaching and Research Center I (AVZ I) with its associated laboratory rooms. The design for the new flexible-use building in timber hybrid construction is the winning project of the University of Bonn’s restricted competition, won jointly by Burckhardt and Buro Happold in 2021.

The four-story replacement building accommodates five of the university’s natural science institutes with their 180 staff and 750 students. These institutes will benefit from synergies among themselves by sharing the easily adaptable spaces for different purposes. Besides individual offices and seminar rooms, the usable space of around 5600m² will house generous open-space laboratory units and practical training rooms with safety zones S1 and S2, plus a library, a lecture theater and lounge areas.

The central atrium serves as a place for students to mingle and talk. The naturally lit main circulation space with the large common foyer and meeting places is aligned to the entrance square. The lecture hall and seminar rooms are located on the lower floors. The two upper floors accommodate the research areas with laboratories, offices and staff common areas.

In the planning of the replacement building, the client, Bau- und Liegenschaftsbetrieb NRW, places a high priority on sustainability and is seeking BNB Silver certification for the building.

The building is scheduled to open in December 2028.