Created in collaboration with Rørbæk og Møller Arkitekter, Life Science & Bioengineering B202 is a four-story building complex at Technical University of Denmark (DTU)- and the biggest new construction project since DTU was inaugurated in the 1960s. In a respectful yet innovative transformation of the original architecture of DTU, the façade of gold-anodised and black-lacquered aluminium is broken into sections with niches and balconies that create a vibrant sense of scale. The building houses life science and bioengineering activities and forms the framework for a unique academic environment with state-of-the-art facilities for research and networking including research facilities and laboratories with gigantic salt water tanks, fish pens and an ultra-modern ventilation system.
Bringing together around 800 employees from the three departments DTU Aqua, DTU Food Institute and DTU Veterinary Institute. The main focus in this project has been on creating a building that acts as a social dynamo, creating synergies between the three institutes through a living environment that promotes networking both internally in the research communities and across them. The central room of the building is an extraordinary oak-clad atmospheric atrium called The Biosphere. The oak lamellae that cover the Biosphere are placed symmetrically around the windows and door openings and are perfectly aligned with the walls and ceilings.
A part of the lamellae also serves as railing for the first floor. From large skylights above, daylight pours down on the oak-clad meeting boxes of The Biosphere, which almost float in mid-air. The meeting boxes, reminiscent of gigantic building blocks, create a wealth of atmospheric spatiality where experts from different disciplines can come together. 18.400 lamellae (around 50.000 m) have been used in creating this unique environment. The lamellae are made from American white oak with a core of birch plywood.