High tech in the West

Source: Axel Hartmann

Source: Axel Hartmann

Source: Axel Hartmann

Source: Axel Hartmann

Source: Axel Hartmann

Source: Axel Hartmann

Source: Axel Hartmann

Source: Axel Hartmann

Source: Axel Hartmann

Source: Axel Hartmann

The Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences combines the fields of Biology and Chemistry in a new laboratory building. With its modern laboratory equipment, it creates optimal conditions for STEM studies.

On the campus of Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (h_da), a new four-story, partially basemented building with laboratories, technical facilities, lecture halls, offices, auxiliary rooms, and technical areas has been constructed on Berliner Allee. The new building marks the beginning of the Schöfferstraße campus and consolidates the formerly two-location Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology into a single building. The laboratories occupy two-thirds of the building's area, allowing it to be used by over 700 students.

The departmental building is approximately 74 meters long and about 24 meters wide. Levels 2 and 3 extend about 2 meters beyond the outer shell of levels 1 and 0 over a length of approximately 23 meters on the north side. Conceptually, the building is divided along its length into a higher-placed, western section known as the Hightech area, and a lower-placed, eastern section called the Lowtech area. The Lowtech area includes functions at the building entrance with a bright atrium, faculty offices, seven seminar rooms, two lecture halls with up to 130 seats, and student workspaces. The Hightech area comprises the laboratories and the technical facility, the Laboratory of Technical Chemistry, located in the western part of the building. Due to a glazed facade, the two-story technical facility is highly visible from outside. It provides space for large-scale experimental setups with heights up to 6 meters.

The laboratory areas are divided into Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, Technical Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, and Bio-process Engineering. Each laboratory is associated with offices and storage areas. A total of 12 research laboratories and 13 teaching laboratories are available. Three centrally located shafts within each high-tech unit provide direct access to the laboratory area from the technical center located in the basement and on the roof, with all necessary utilities. The building exceeds the ENEV 2009 standards by 30% in terms of primary energy demand.

The building's technical equipment includes water and wastewater treatment systems, a steam boiler system (approx. 100 kg/h, 10 bar), separate systems for laboratory cooling water and air conditioning cold water, cooling ceilings in offices and seminar rooms, and partial air conditioning with high-performance heat recovery.