NORD Architects, who won the award to design the science center in 2007, created a building that caters to students, children and the various programs that take place inside. The purpose of the Natural Science Center is to inspire children and young adults in the fields of science and engineering and foster a sense of curiosity and wonder. NORD designed the building to reflect that same spark of curiosity and to encourage exploration. To achieve that, the cylindrical building was built with various cutouts, terraces and openings, all of which offer views of the open landscape.
The exterior of the building is coated in u-glass profiles, which change character when weather and light conditions change. At night, the building lights up like a lighthouse. Inside, the building is mostly composed of concrete, which is practical and allows for easy cleanup after experiments. Daylighting plays a major role throughout the interior spaces, and rainwater collected from the roof is purified and used inside the building. The layout and floorplans of the entire four story building are open, allowing students to utilize the space as they need it during the course of their experiments. NORD Architects insist that ‘if a future scientists needs to make a hole in the concrete floor to carry out his experiment, it is quite all right’. NORD Architects was recently nominated for a Mies van der Rohe award.
The Natural Science Center in Bjerringbro was constructed in 2009 as an educational facility to inspire students in Denmark in the fields of science and engineering. Copenhagen-based NORD Architects designed the cylindrical science center with in mind,
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NORD Architects won the award to design the Natural Science Center in 2007 and completed the building in 2009.
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Since then it has been awarded a prize from the World Architecture Community and nominated for the 2011 Mies van der Rohe Award.
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Every two years, the Mies van der Rohe Award is granted by the European Union and the Fundació Mies van der Rohe, Barcelona to recognize quality architecture in Europe and stimulate the progression of the architectural profession.
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The Natural Science Center was designed to help inspire Danish students in the fields of science and engineering, and it provides a place for educational programs.
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The center includes laboratories, classrooms, lecture halls and lots of flexible open space to conduct experiments and run tests.
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The building was constructed to be practical and flexible so that it could adapt over time for different educational needs.
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The concrete interior is practical and cleans up easy, and as NORD says, ‘if a future scientists needs to make a hole in the concrete floor to carry out his experiment, it is quite all right’.
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The exterior of the cylindrical building is clad in u-glass profiles that change character when weather and light conditions change.
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Daylighting, energy-efficient windows, and rainwater collection are included in the center’s sustainable design strategy.
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An open-floor layout provides flexible space for any number of activities.
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Cut-outs, terraces, and other variously sized spaces encourage students and children to explore the environment.
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The building was designed to help foster and inspire students’ interest in science, engineering and the environment.
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Johannes Pedersen, partner at Nord Architects Copenhagen explains: “The idea behind the Natural Science Center is to make young people interested in natural science and pursue a career within that field. Natural Science is about exploring and asking so
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