A multiuse educational “marketplace
Sometimes, a client’s desire to create buildings that are both socially and environmentally sustainable can act as the springboard for new ideas and creative solutions. This was very much the case with Campus Bindslev, a multiuse educational “marketplace” commissioned by Silkeborg Municipality to bring together the town’s different educational institutions and organisations.
Flexible and multifunctional building
One of the special requests for the project was that no space should be wasted on storage. To fulfil this and, at the same time, design a flexible and multifunctional building, RUM came up with a unique storage system for extra tables and partition walls; until lowered via a computer-controlled hoisting system, the furniture elegantly dwells on the ceiling, much like a sculptural installation.
Social sustainability and strong learning communities
It was not just environmental sustainability that shaped the unique design for Campus Bindslev. The wish to create social sustainability in the form of strong learning communities across individual institutions was another guiding principle. It is demonstrated in, among other features, the large central “marketplace” where performances, projects, and shared events take place. Like other rooms, the space is multifunctional and can be transformed into 15 smaller learning zones. Furthermore, one of the rules of the building is that it can never be used by one institution alone. To book it, institutions need to team up in groups of two or more.
Sharing and saving spaces have always been core elements in our work, but as there’s an increasing focus on sustainability, it’s making more sense to more people now. Often, we measure a building’s sustainability through its materials and how many resources are used to produce them, but another aspect, which is important, is not to build more than necessary, RUM
