The new ensemble of buildings comprises a bespoke recycling centre, a vehicle workshop with filling station and some urgently needed covered parking for bikes. These different uses with their specific headroom requirements are integrated into the natural slope of the building site under the horizontally aligned top edge of two roofs. Concrete structures in the lower parts of the building are the suitable material for the working conditions of constant delivery and lorry traffic while also providing the necessary structure for retaining walls where necessary.

The upper parts of the buildings are steel structures. The sawtooth roofs are covered with photovoltaics, contributing to the overall aim of enlarging the amount of renewable energy for the university’s research departments. New tram stations will in the future connect the campus to the city centre and relocate the main entrance to the campus area. The Recycling Centre will then effectively be the entrance building of the campus and the “façade” of the university’s technical services area. Stretched textile systems, developed for agricultural use, provide the yard with the necessary protection against rain and wind.

The building structure and the ongoing daily business are visible but filtered by the material’s partial transparency, which constantly changes with the daylight and with the viewers movement when passing on the walkways. Translucent polycarbonate elements can be added to the construction of facade and roof to change the conditions under the canopies from near total exposure to various degrees of weather protection. The workshop area is accordingly enclosed and adapted for frost-free indoor usage.

The office area on the first floor is provided with additional insulation behind an interior finish of robust osb-panelling. The University of Tübingen was provided with a recycling centre and additionally a vehicle workshop and a covered public area for bikes. These different uses are integrated into the natural slope of the building site under the horizontally aligned top edge of two roofs. They define the future entrance to the campus area and additionally produce renewable energy for the research departments.

Credits: - tragwerke + - Structural Engineering