UCN IMAGO / GPP Architects

Jan 2011

By Hank Jarz — Filed under: Cultural ,Educational , Aalborg, Denmark, GPP Architects

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GPP Architects were recently awarded 1st prize for their entry in the competition for the University College Nordjvlland‘s (UCN) new educational center and have kindly shared their work with us here at ArchDaily. Follow after the jump for a project description by GPP Architects , additional images and a video.

Courtesy GPP Architects

The project is situated at the former Eternit site, centrally located in Aalborg, Denmark. The site has a history as one of the city’s main industrial sites, giving the building a special identity as a place where Industry and knowledge meet.

UCN IMAGO is an educational center, consisting of 4 buildings arranged around a common space. All 4 buildings are oriented towards this central space, each having a finger within the central space – or a wing of the ‘butterfly’. This Central Space is the building’s nucleus and professional meeting point, where there is a pulse and synergy between the various professional educations, helping create an environment which radiates life, interdisciplinary and exchange of knowledge.

Courtesy GPP Architects

The central space is magnificent and unique. As the building’s pivotal point, it allows great visual contact to each of the buildings “wings”, creating intimacy and cohesion in the education environment.

The main level contains spaces for public and group functions and activities. The other levels include educational facilities, grouped in 4 large families as requested by the client – 3 wings for UCN’s Technology & Business and 1 wing for continuing education – an education towards a new business career.

Courtesy GPP Architects

There are many different rooms to relax and find peace. In the tall atrium, under and along the balconies, in the small meeting rooms allocated for group and individual work, on top of the auditorium, and in all the small nooks and cranny located sporadically around the facility.

Courtesy GPP Architects

The curving overhangs and balconies in the central space create a living structure. These overhangs and balconies help protect the facade and act as sunscreens, giving a longer use of the classrooms, before the sunscreens are required to shade the sun. The choice of materials is based on the Eternit site’s industrial past. Perforated steel plate and various types of colored aluminum plates are used. The exterior face of the overhangs are clad with galvanized steel plates and the undersides are clad with different colored aluminum plates.

1st Floor Plan

The building is designed as a high efficiency building. From the start of the design process, there has been a focus on energy efficient solutions, so that the environmental impact and architecture go hand in hand. The intent is to use the sun’s rays to their maximum potential, resulting in amazing daylight conditions as well as additional energy to the building.

Architect: GPP Architects
Location: Aalborg, Denmark
Sub-consultants: Kontur Architects, Thing & Wainø Landscape, Ulla Kjærvang
Developer and engineer: MT Højgaard
Client: University College Nordjylland (UCN)
Size: 35000 m2
Year of competition: 2010
Result: 1st prize