MVRDV has revealed the master plan to expand the Noviotech Campus, a giant in Health & High Tech Innovation, in Nijmegen, east of the Netherlands. The concept combines the campus's already scattered buildings, adds new structures where there are gaps, and integrates the site within the city, putting ecology first. The municipality of Nijmegen, Kadans Science Partner, and NXP Semiconductors will collaborate with Noviotech Campus and MVRDV in the following months to develop and refine the master plan.
The scheme uses the existing structures of The Noviotech Campus as a starting point. It incorporates six of the seven large buildings currently on the property, including one that will be renovated, into the future campus design, reducing the amount of carbon released during campus expansion construction. The campus will eventually grow to 300,000 square meters of the leasable area by adding new buildings throughout three phases of development into the grid that these structures serve to define. A green spine that acts as the main path through the campus runs through the center of this site, connecting the Goffert train station in the north to a region of sports facilities that will soon be constructed south of the school. Both employees at the Noviotech Campus and passing pedestrians are encouraged to rest in this area, which features a meandering route connecting the numerous building entrances and services.
The Noviotech Campus, southwest of Nijmegen, was created as various companies that had spun off from the parent company of NXP, a manufacturer of microchips, began to assemble in the structures to the east of the campus. The location contrasts sharply with the neighboring Goffertpark, one of Nijmegen's largest parks, and the contemporary Campus's sole vegetation. The design has transformed the campus into a nature-inclusive setting that connects the Goffertpark and adjacent Jonkerbos to designated green corridors nearby.
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MVRDV Wins Competition To Design A New Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence Campus in Heilbronn, GermanyThe landscaping plan, which involves planting a "hyper-mix" of trees, shrubs, and flowers in overlapping circular sections, unifies the campus and develops a distinctive character. MVRDV developed a plan based on five "ambassador species" that are chosen to symbolize all components of a healthy environment to ensure that this diverse landscape lives up to its expectations as a nature hotspot. This way, the campus transforms into a potent biotope where everything coexists, from berries to flowers, leaves to branches, and little to giant plants.
The masterplan is designed to reintroduce these natural principles. We follow the principles of forest gardening and follow the seasons. We are trying to increase our knowledge of planting mixtures; In the tradition of Mien Ruys and Piet Oudolf, we are now entering the phase of hyper-mixtures that aim to intensify and cultivate the complexity of nature on all fronts. I hope that the Noviotech Campus will not only become part of Nijmegen's ecological infrastructure but that it will in itself show the wonder and beauty of this new ‘man-made’ nature. The greenery also continues on the building façades and roofs, extending this blend of nature vertically and horizontally.
-Winy Maas, MVRDV founding partner
With a significant focus on future sustainability and holistic urban spaces, MVRDV has designed many urban projects that challenge how designers deal with space. The firm recently won a competition to design the Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence Campus in Heilbronn, Germany. In collaboration with Rotterdam Rooftop Days, MVRDV created a “Rooftop Catalog”, presenting 130 innovative ideas to make use of Rotterdam's empty flat roofs, addressing land scarcity and climate change. Finally, MRVDV has been selected as the winner of the competition to design a new public library in Wuhan’s Central Business District, China.
