It offers teaching and research areas, workplaces, study spaces and – above all – lots of greenery and light. Marlies Veldman, UvA project manager for the construction, looks forward to the opening with confidence. ‘It will hopefully meet the expectations of the residents, but it would be even better if we could actually exceed their expectations.’ The combination of the unusual design and the connection with the Science Park, which houses around 2,300 students in AI and digital innovation, 175 companies and 500 researchers, makes LAB42 a hub in the area of digital innovation and AI.

Offices

At the heart of the building is the bridge, surrounded by space for the offices of SMEs, other companies and scale-ups in the field of AI. It’s one of Veldman's favourite elements. ‘The bridge is the connection between the hustle and bustle of the catering outlets and students on the ground floor and the quiet spaces for research institutes at the top. Here, the two merge and this is where the business community can meet students and researchers.’

Potential employees

These meetings can offer a solution to one of the major challenges that tech companies are facing in the Netherlands: finding suitable specialised employees. These (potential) employees will soon be in the building itself. Interested entrepreneurs can choose from a flexible workspace in the building, a permanent desk or an office which can house between 2 and 10 workspaces.

Seeing each other

With plenty of daylight and open spaces, the building ensures a healthy working environment. The large atrium with its high ceiling, light-hearted mezzanines and varied workspaces makes residents easily visible to each other. ‘Because you can see each other, it’s easy to approach each other for a discussion or to get to know each other. This visibility also creates a certain liveliness in the building, as you can see who is working where.’

Energy-neutral and circular

One of the particularities and challenges of the construction and design is that LAB42 is an energy-neutral building of 12,000 m2. This means that the building will produce as much energy as it needs. Among other things, this requires 1800 m2 of solar panels. ‘They wouldn’t all fit on the roof, so we went looking for creative solutions’, says Veldman. That became the south-west façade. Here, a pattern of open and closed panels converges towards the top of the building. This is a reference to binary code, as a nod to the computer science taught in the building.

On schedule and within budget

When the building is completed in mid-June, it will be up to the UvA and the faculty to set up LAB42 and prepare it for the users. The building needs to be totally ready by mid-August. Veldman: ‘By this point, an entirely new building will have been completed in 4 years and 6 months, on schedule and within budget, which is something we can all be proud of at a time that is full of uncertainties on many fronts. Everyone was on the same page from the outset: the architect, contractor, construction professionals and project stakeholders at the UvA all worked closely together. And this is clearly evident in the end product.’

Want to rent an office or find out more? Lab42.uva.nl

Interested companies can visit lab42.uva.nl for more information about the building, rental prices and further contact details.