The campus, with all its facilities, is of distinctive importance for us as UT and of great added value for the future within the Shaping2030 strategy: "Our campus is a dynamic hotspot, where we meet, brainstorm and try to solve current issues." We want to preserve it and maintain it well. In order to keep the campus future-proof and to be able to determine in a well-considered manner which real estate initiatives on the campus are necessary, we have a Long Term Strategic Housing Plan (LTSH). This plan is the framework for decisions to be taken annually on large-scale investment projects. On 7 November, the Executive Board adopted the current plan for the period 2023 – 2032 as an intended decision and will discuss this with the University Council and the Supervisory Board for approval in December.
Developments influence this LTSH
For this LTSH, a number of developments are very decisive for the way we deal with our real estate as UT. For example, the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the way we currently work and study as what we call 'the new way of working;’ the combination of working from home and working on campus. In addition, we want to move towards a more flexible use of work and study spaces and blended learning is getting more and more common in our education. In the current time, it is evident that we focus on sustainability in our real estate policy. The green character of our campus is well respected in all initiatives. We also build only those facilities that are really needed.
In the past period, the UT has grown enormously in both student and employee numbers. We expect this growth to continue steadily in the coming years. This means that we now take into account a size of around 16,000 students and 4,300 FTE staff for 2032. We call this the baseline scenario. Every year we analyse this size in more detail and adjust our real estate ambition where necessary, the LTSH is a strategic dynamic plan.
Expansion for education, research, sports and culture
The steady growth we expect obviously means something for the current teaching and research capacity on campus. On the one hand, this requires better staffing, utilization and accessibility of our current educational and research buildings. In addition, there is a need for space expansion.
It is not only for education and research that there is a need for extra space. There is also a need for more space for sports and cultural activities, given the increase in our student population. The LTSH until 2032 therefore takes into account the need for space for education, research, sports and culture through an expansion of approximately 16,000 square meters. The projects for the next ten years can be divided into three main categories:
1. Sustainable new construction/expansion
2. Renovation/sustainability of existing real estate
3. Sport and culture
The figure below shows all projects for the coming years. The LTSH programme team and the LTSH steering group decide on each project whether it can move forward towards the formal decision-making of the Executive Board and, if applicable, other bodies within the UT such as the University Council. So each project will be decided separately whether to go forward or not, with the exception of some projects already decided in 2021 or earlier, such as renovation Langezijds and Kop Langezijds.
Energy saving
The buildings on our campus are already extremely energy efficient. With the renovation and new construction projects, energy saving and sustainability are included even more emphatically and UT is widely committed to reducing our energy consumption. In addition to explicitly asking our employees and students to be economical with energy, we will close empty spaces or floors if possible, we have set the thermostat to 19 degrees and we make our buildings more sustainable with small and large interventions. For example, the roof of the Spiegel is currently being insulated and a study will start to identify which roofs on campus can support additional solar panels.
There are also initiatives to make our laboratories more sustainable. Once all the new construction has been completed, the reductions in energy will start to become even more visible. In 2030, 11.1% will be saved on energy needs, compared to 2020. In 2050, this saving will be 18.3%.
New way of working and studying
After the experiences we have gained with each other during the pandemic combined with the agreed basic principles of May 2021 (Jester), a note with the progress of the various topics in the organisation concerning hybrid working and studying on campus is being drawn up.
It discusses policy rules around the 'new way of working' or also the 'hybrid working.' The elements that are important for the LTSH are included in current and future projects. In any case, we want to move towards a more open and 'shared' use of the facilities. When it comes to office spaces, study places, meeting rooms and project spaces, we as UT want these to be used by everyone in the future. In the coming period, we will develop a guidelines for this.
Masterplan sport and culture
In addition to the educational and research facilities, we have various sports and cultural facilities that also make our campus so special. This requires a permanent investment in existing and new facilities to stay up to date and safe for use.
In addition, over the past few years, we have grown as a UT both in student- and staff numbers. This leads to a lack of capacity in various places in the sports and cultural facilities. Therefore, a Sports and Culture Master Plan was drawn up in 2021. The projects incorporated in this masterplan are included in the LTSH for 2023-2032 and are the following:
- Temporary accommodation dance hall, blowing hall and power sport area.
- Upgrade stagecraft and foyer Vrijhof
- Renovation Watersport complex
- Realisation of Padel lanes
- Development of the Pavilion Zone: there is room for smaller-scale developments in the Pavilion Zone, such as in the Pavilion Zone there is room for smaller-scale developments, such as new-build permanent dance hall, fitness, group classes and body & mind.
- Renovation Sport Centre / Vrijhof.
More information
The entire LTSH plan for 2023-2032 and other information about housing projects can be found on www.utwente.nl/en/ltsh.
