GRAPHISOFT > Case Studies > Mastering Precision: IoT in Designing Erasmus University Student Center Rotterdam

Mastering Precision: IoT in Designing Erasmus University Student Center Rotterdam

Technology Category

Sensors - GPS

Applicable Industries

Buildings
Cement

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Building Automation & Control
Smart Campus

About The Customer

The customer in this case is the Erasmus University Rotterdam. The university is a highly respected educational institution in the Netherlands, known for its programs in business, law, economics, and social sciences. The university was seeking a new student center that would serve as a central meeting point on the campus, where research could meet business and science could meet culture. The university wanted a building that was sustainable, usable, transparent, and intimate. The building needed to be flexible in use, able to accommodate a variety of activities and events, and energy-efficient.

The Challenge

The Erasmus University Rotterdam Student Center, designed by Powerhouse Company and De Zwarte Hond, was envisioned to be a vibrant meeting point on the campus where research meets business and science meets culture. The main objectives for the design of the Student Center were sustainability, usability, transparency, and intimacy. The challenge was to create a building that could adapt to the changing needs of the students and the environment. The building needed to be flexible in use, energy-efficient, and able to moderate the amount of natural light and heat according to the sun’s position. The design also needed to accommodate 'dark space' programs that require an absence of daylight, without compromising the transparency of the building.

The Solution

The solution was a building design that incorporated various technical measures to lower the energy impact. The building was designed with a compact volume and the mass positioned in the center core. The program was carefully oriented toward the sun, combined with a dynamic façade, solar panels on the roof, natural ventilation, and flexible zoning. This transformed the transparent building into a low consumption landmark. The building's transparency was preserved by positioning all 'dark space' programs in the core of the building. This 'logistical core' efficiently served the publicly accessible spaces distributed around it. A multipurpose auditorium was placed on top of this logistical core, offering room for lectures, performances, and debates. The curved lines of the louvers that sweep across the four façades were based on the path of the sun and moderated the amount of natural light and heat according to the sun’s position.

Operational Impact

The operational results of the project were highly successful. The building became a vibrant and central meeting point on the campus, fulfilling the university's vision. The design's flexibility allowed the building to adapt to different needs and events, from being an intimate, warm indoor space on a gray winter morning to an open and vibrant space on a warm summer evening. The building's transparency was preserved, even with the inclusion of 'dark space' programs. The energy-efficient design and use of solar panels transformed the building into a low consumption landmark, aligning with the university's commitment to sustainability. The collaboration between Powerhouse Company and De Zwarte Hond was seamless, with both offices contributing equally to the design and construction of the project.

Quantitative Benefit

The building design resulted in a low energy consumption landmark.
The use of solar panels on the roof contributed to energy efficiency.
The building's compact volume and careful orientation towards the sun helped to moderate the amount of natural light and heat.