NEW RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT FOR LESS THAN DKK 500 MILLION
20 February 2001 - NNE A/S

The ring of buildings around University Park in Copenhagen will soon be complete. The Ministry of Research has just decided that Carl Bro as, Novo Nordisk Engineering A/S and KHR A/S Arkitekter will be jointly responsible for constructing the first phase of the new Biocentre. The cost will be DKK 452.5 million.

The Biocentre will house three different research units, although the winning project envisages the creation of a framework for a research environment which will cut across research boundaries.

The three users of the Biocentre will be Copenhagen University's Molecular Biology Institute, Biotech Research & Innovation Centre and the Copenhagen Hospital Cooperation, and they expect to be able to move into their new facilities in 2004.
KHR Arkitekter, Novo Nordisk Engineering and Carl Bro have not only produced the best design for the first phase of the Biocentre, but also a general plan for the area and subsequent additions which are the second phase of the Biocentre and a research park.

All three buildings will be constructed in the area between Tagensvej and University Park. The first phase of the Biocentre will cover 20,000 m², the research park 10,000 m², and the subsequent additions 30,000 m² – not including basements.

The three companies behind the winning project introduce the underlying idea for the centre as follows:

'Functionality, flexibility and dynamism must all be to the fore when the new Biocentre is complete. Sharing knowledge is an important precondition for developing knowledge. Seeking knowledge is an important precondition for discovering knowledge. The physical framework is a necessary precondition for people being able to meet whatever their area of knowledge. The new Biocentre will be a building with social spaciousness which houses rooms which are both functional for the users and which inspire them to dynamic cooperation. It will be a knowledge centre and not just small knowledge cells.'

The winning project grounds these ideas in three main objectives:

To create a modern, flexible and future-orientated new building with spatial experiences for its users. To arrange the rooms so as to create the opportunity for the users to meet as one even though the centre is made up of three independent units

To take advantage of the location of the site overlooking University Park.

The winning project will complete the ring of buildings around University Park, fitting in with the area and its characteristic buildings.
The whole of University Park will thus be a cohesive green campus area with tall trees around the edge of the park close to the buildings and with a large space in the middle for ball games and recreation. The area will be connected by means of pathways.

The Biocentre, which will be constructed in five storeys, will open onto the park with a north-facing facade which will let light into the laboratories to the full storey height, whilst the south-facing office areas will have a bright facade with ribbon windows and sun protection. The Biocentre's canteen and auditorium will project onto the park.

The first phase of the Biocentre will consist of two north/south-facing laboratory buildings with two and three flexibly arranged research units respectively on each floor. The buildings will be set apart to allow space for the second phase.
The laboratory buildings will be interconnected by means of a bright central building running north-south which will form the social axis of the Biocentre and the research park.

The Biocentre's stables will be housed in the basement set back from the facade, but with two smaller yard areas which will ensure light and a means of escape.
The stables will be designed with a double-walkway system which will give access to the animal compartment section from a clean and an unclean side. This principle will reduce the risk of contaminating 'clean' animal compartments.
The basement will also have technical areas, a library and a waste room, plus a connection to the tunnel system which links the centre's buildings with the National Hospital on Blegdamsvej and the Panum Institute.

Over the years KHR A/S Arkitekter has received a number of national and international honours for its buildings. 70% of its assignments in recent years have been in Denmark and the remainder elsewhere in Europe. In connection with the Biocentre, the company has had main responsibility for the general plan and building, facades and materials and area planning.

Novo Nordisk Engineering A/S has more than 75 years experience as an in-house consultant to Novo Nordisk A/S, and in 1991 was converted into an independent subsidiary. Today, NNE employs more than 1100 staff and in this project has had main responsibility i.a. for logistics and classification, the laboratory and stable concept, water, heating and sanitation and ventilation. Carl Bro was founded as a Danish engineering firm, but is now an international consultancy company with 80 offices in Denmark and abroad. In this project, the company has main responsibility for structures, electricity and building informatics and communications.

http://nne.dk/

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