The Centre for Biosystem Analysis is a new building for the joint research of different faculties of the Freiburg university. A site directly at the edge of the Botanic Gardens was chosen for the new institute. This position required a sensible connection of the new building to the adjoining park in the north with its public greenhouses, as well as to the more urban area of university and residential buildings in the south. Therefore we created a modern, elongated building which provides clear urbanistic boundaries to the green space and consequently completes the unfinished court-yard situation of the existing buildings. It meets the requirements of the task with an appropriately functional elegance.
The slender laboratory building is orientated towards the Botanic Gardens in the north so that an attractive entrance is created next to the greenhouses. The main entrance is situated in the centre of the 85 meters long building, which is divided into two areas. The western area is used for teaching and seminars and the east is a modern laboratory area. The central hall provides an extremely useful meeting point between research and teaching over several floors, offering cafeteria and communication spaces. In the research areas the installation shafts, being so typical for a laboratory building, were used as a creative element to structure the space. Their plain surface of exposed concrete is part of the clear concept for the materials used in the inner spaces.
The clear outer appearance is mirrored in the organization of the floor plans. The individual areas of use are consequently arranged in vertical layers: The corridor in the south is separated of the laboratories in the north by installation spaces and side rooms, which among other things can be used as a double door system. The working and laboratory spaces are orientated towards the Botanic Gardens so that they offer an attractive view outside. The regularly arranged installation shafts guarantee a high flexibility for the project-based research and can all be maintained and modernized from the corridor. The central office space, where the results of the researches are analysed, are located in a separate part of the building in front of the southern façade.
| ZBSA Centre for Biosytem Analysis University Freiburg (D) building costs approx. 16.5 million EUR start of construction 2005 completion 2007 floor area 6,100 sqm
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