€25m for new construction project on Furtwangen Campus
Furtwangen University (HFU) may be able to implement a major construction project at its main location in Furtwangen sooner than originally expected. The state government has promised €25 million for the construction of a new dining hall. This has been made possible because Baden-Württemberg will receive around €13 billion from the federal government's special fund, which the state is using in part for building construction and state buildings.
The replacement of the cafeteria was already planned on the Furtwangen campus, with financing originally planned from the state budget for 2028/29 and completion in 2029 at the earliest. The provision of funds from the federal government's special fund may significantly accelerate the project. “It's great that, with the support of the state and the federal government, we will probably be able to reach such an important milestone in the modernisation of our main campus more quickly,” says Dr. Alexandra Bormann, President of Furtwangen University. “This decision is a strong sign of support for our university from the state. Together with the various parties involved in university construction, we will do everything we can to ensure that it can be put into operation as soon as possible. As a centre of student life, the new dining hall will further increase the university's attractiveness for students.”
The new dining hall is to be built on the southeastern part of the Furtwangen campus on the Breg river and will be operated by the Freiburg Student Services. The building is designed so that the large dining room can also be used as a lounge for students outside of opening hours. “With the new dining hall building, we are not only creating a modern place for our students to eat, but also a space for meeting and learning together,” says Hendrik Mielke, who coordinates construction projects at HFU as Deputy Head of Administration.
The new building in Furtwangen is necessary because the old dining hall on campus no longer meets current requirements. “In the current building, we cannot comply with the applicable regulations for operating a commercial kitchen. We also need a new building that meets the latest standards in terms of fire safety and accessibility,” explains Mielke.
The HFU is also planning significant construction measures in its other locations in the coming years. “The profiling of the HFU campuses is linked to the development of a building and space strategy for the efficient use of our resources. Within this framework, we are defining further urgent construction measures,” explains Andreas Friedrich. The new Head of Administration of HFU sees the next high priority as upgrading the main building at the Schwenningen location into a modern laboratory and teaching building. “In addition, we are already busy with initial plans for the renovation of the B Building in Furtwangen, which houses the auditorium, the teaching reactor, and equipment-intensive laboratories, among other things,” says Friedrich.