Riga, Latvia

UniverceCity

University of Latvia Academic Centre of Nature Sciences

MARK

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CONCEPT, PROGRAMM, CONSTRUCTIONS
The basic architectural concept of Academic Centre of Nature Sciences is the contrast between irrational natural environment with its symbol hill and rationally designed volume, symbolizing scientific and technological progress. The design proposal of the Academic Centre of Nature Sciences emphasizes an openness to natural environment and open inner communication between different levels and departments inside the building. The ground floor relief shapes and unites exterior and interior creating continuous public space. This entrance floor space can be defined as an intersection of main flows and a platform of interaction and recreation. A central hall of the 1st floor (ground floor) is designed also as a happening space providing possibility to organize various university assembly events. There are also other public functions such as library, cafe and administration offices located on the 1st floor (ground floor). The large auditoriums are positioned below the public level creating joint space for all the lecture halls. The main entrance of the building is organized from the public square of the university campus creating greatly presentable image of the academic center. The spatial core of the building is an atrium what brings the light in an edifice, helps to find the location and encourages the common sense between the students and academical staff. There are several seminar blocks located in the atrium promoting an open interdisciplinary student communication. All the recreation zones are located around the atrium in each floor and give opportunity to organize specific learning exhibitions in the atrium hallways. Each of different departments (medicine, pharmacy, chemistry and geography) occupies different floor from second till sixth floor shaping highly rational top volume of the building. These floors include common recreation spaces, scientific and study laboratories, teachers offices and at least one auditorium positioned on each of different department floors. Due to technical issues such as ventilation and water supply all the laboratories are placed on top of each other. The top floor of the academic centre is devoted only for science and research offices. The façade construction of the building also accentuate the idea of openness in contrast to rationalism. The design of specific hexagonal façade structure relates to symbols of nature and gives certain recognizable image for the building creating excellent lighting scenery in an interior. The first floor of the building is designed enhancing the amount of glazing to point out the idea of openness. An external skin of the top volume is designed as a double layered hexagonal steel plate structure with one elongated side depending on orientation to control the sun energy. The construction scheme of the building consists of drilled pile foundations as a base for column grid (8×8 m) and in-situ cast reinforced concrete plate for underground floors. Due to architectural idea, overhanged parts and the atrium balconies building surface volume consists of in-situ cast concrete plates with post-tensioned reinforcement and column grid with increased reinforcement to strengthen the construction persistence without increasing the geometric sizes.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SUSTAINABILITY
The building of Academic Centre of Nature Sciences is designed to reach the energy efficiency standard of passivhaus (the total energy consumption do not exceed 15 kwh/m2 per year). The standard of passivhaus also guarantees heating, overall microclimate comfort and reasonable fresh air supply. The compact shape of the building guarantees optimized surface and volume ratio. The direct daylight is provided in each study or research room to maximize the use of sun energy. The interior microclimate can be adjusted by using ventilation system, heating period air humidity optimization is done by using special greeneries with plants. The Building Management System (BMS) will be used to provide optimized energy consumption in the building and also to control all the engineering systems including the elevators, a fire alarm and security, water supply, sewage system etc. The efficiency of BMS will be guaranteed by meteorology station data of sunlight, wind direction and endurance, temperature, precipitation and air pressure data.

TERRITORY MASTERPLAN
Academic Centre of Nature Sciences is a first stage of University of Latvia Tornakalns campus development plan. A masterplan area is divided into building blocks according to different functions of university programm. The historical fortification outline becomes the focal point in creating central university plaza with crossing water canal. The building block division is done by using main axes and basic directions from the central square to adjacent spatialy and functionally significant points – National Library of Latvia, planned Tornakalns New Riga Administrative centre, Daugava river, Tornakalns Railway station. The building of Academic Centre of Nature Sciences is planned near to historical location of Kobronskanste fortification in such way combining archeological excavation process with construction of university building. There is also possibility to incorporate conserved fortification parts into future university open space areas thus creating unique image of the territory. The bicycle road system is incorporated in the area to strenghthen more sustainable transportation way, limited car access is provided from Jelgava street. The site ground level shoul be about 2 m elevated to smooth out the height difference with Jelgava street. The entrance level of the building is planned to be even 1 m heigher to facilitate an underground parking construction.

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UniverceCity