Preparatory work for new Feringa Building site begins

Preparations for the site for the Feringa Building on the Zernike Campus Groningen are now ready to begin. This new Science & Engineering building measures around 64,000 m² and is being built to replace the outdated ‘Nijenborgh 4’. The tender for the construction work is also in full swing.

The previous tender process was called to halt in July 2017 after the situation on the market changed. After making a few adjustments to bring the speculations into line with the current market situation, the tender process was restarted. The functionality for users has not been compromised.

‘We looked for ways to cut the costs without affecting the functionality for our staff and students’, explains UG vice president Jan de Jeu. ‘The laboratories, offices and teaching areas have been completely left out of the cost-cutting round.’

The sustainable solutions and earthquake resistance from the original plans have been retained. The most obvious change is a shift in the location of the building to the south.

Materials

The visual impression differs only slightly from the original design . In consultation with the design team, smarter production specifications were drawn up with a more attractive price, without compromising the reliability of the structure. The entire design was reviewed along these guidelines and modified where possible.

Shifting the building

In the original plan, the building was to be constructed in two equal phases. By shifting the start location nearly 80 metres to the south in the direction of the ring road, the lion’s share of the Feringa Building can now be constructed in one consolidated construction phase.

Planning

The road behind Nijenborgh 4 has been closed to traffic since last week. An alternative approach for cyclists has been opened on Paddepoelsterweg . The demolition of the former workshop is almost complete, so a start can now be made on preparing the site for building work. The new European tender procedure has meanwhile begun. Depending on the outcome of that procedure and the decision-making involved, building work is scheduled to commence in 2019 and the entire building may be ready in 2022. More details of the scheduling and building phases will be announced at a later stage.

About the Feringa Building

The Feringa Building will be the next building for the Faculty of Science and Engineering. It will accommodate around 1,400 students and 850 staff. Boasting over 64,000 m2 of floor space, a total length of 260 metres, a width of 63 metres and five floors, it will be the largest building on the Zernike Campus Groningen. In addition to offices and lecture halls, the building will also comprise a wide range of special research facilities, including physics, chemistry, biochemistry and vibration-free labs.