Education Campus - Conference centre by the river Havel

Competition, Berlin-Spandau, 2022

In September 2021, AUKETT + HEESE was invited along with seven other architecture firms to work on a feasibility study for the construction of a new education campus in Berlin-Spandau. The site is located directly on the banks of the river Havel within a park totalling 47,500 m² in area.

AUKETT + HEESE’s concept is comprised of an impressive ensemble of five buildings that are all connected across a single main floor level. The campus can be accessed via a centrally located entrance pavilion. The complex is flanked by four residential buildings, creating a central forum on the ground floor that forms both the entrance to the complex and an open public space that can be used for communication, recreation and interaction.

The forum is oriented along prominent sightlines. In particular, the southward view towards the Havel river and the connection to the swimming area play a key role in terms of the orientation. The central elements are the entrance pavilion along with the two atria.

The different areas are organised vertically by function. The seminar rooms are located centrally on the main floor level, offering the quiet and isolation necessary for studying.

Public areas such as restaurants, the fitness studio or the reception desk are located on the ground floor. The residential areas are located on the upper floors. The stairwells in the residential buildings are connected with the main floor level, forming a direct connection between the housing and the seminar rooms.

The seminar rooms on the main floor level are at the heart of the educational complex. Spacious atria establish a connection to the surrounding landscape and provide the rooms with natural light and fresh air. The layout of the seminar rooms allows for flexible furnishing and also makes it possible to combine rooms, thus enabling maximum flexibility and multifunctional use.