Simulated view of installation of elevator -extensive renovation measures in the main building of Furtwangen University on the Furtwangen Campus should be completed by the end of the year. Image: Dominik Widmann, HFU
Furtwangen University renovating main building on Furtwangen Campus - completion scheduled for end of year
At Furtwangen University (HFU), construction work on the A Building, the main building on Robert-Gerwig-Platz, is in full swing. Around 4600 square meters are currently being renovated and redesigned here, at a cost of around €12 million. “At the moment, it looks as if we will finish the work by the end of the year as planned,” reports Hendrik Mielke, Head of Technical Services and Deputy Registrar at HFU.
The first few months on the construction site involved extensive dismantling − the building, the oldest parts of which date back to 1956, undergoing a complete overhaul, from the electrics, ventilation and heating, to the new sanitary facilities. Old pipes and electrical cables make the project challenging, as some of them were completely obstructed and set in concrete. “At times, it was a bit like Swiss cheese,” laughs Mielke, describing the large number of core drillings that were necessary for the new installations during the reconstruction. The HFU buildings do not belong to the university, but to the Baden-Württemberg Property and Building Construction Administration, which is carrying out the conversion.
The new main building is to become “the living heart of the Furtwangen campus”, says Mielke. In addition to rooms, including conference rooms, for the members of the university Executive Board, modern learning spaces for students will also be set up here, as well as maker spaces for project groups in which prototypes can be developed or business models devised. The library will also move back into its refurbished old home. The second floor will be particularly flexible − a multi-purpose room that fills the entire floor is planned, which can be used for large events with many guests but can also be divided into smaller areas as required. The A Building will also house a large lecture theatre and a new chemistry laboratory. “We're almost on the home stretch,” says Mielke, who is currently working on colour concepts and a modern solution for the gate at the future main entrance.
Due to the renovation of the A Building, many HFU employees moved to surrounding buildings and other offices last year. Occupation of the new main building is scheduled to begin at the end of the year. “The new A Building will then be in full use at the start of Summer Semester 26,” says Mielke. The university community is already looking forward to the new space and planning for the inauguration and the first events has already begun.