The Langezijds building is located on the UT campus in Enschede and, at 220 metres long, it is one of the longest buildings in the Netherlands. From the start of the renovation in 2021, a year and a half of work has gone into the further sustainable transformation of the building. From April 2023, the 13,783 m2 building will house about 700 students and staff of UT's Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC). The move to the O&O Square is the ultimate capstone of ITC's integration at UT.
Langezijds is one of the most sustainable buildings on campus. Besides going from energy label G to A+++, it is a transparent and future-proof building that houses teaching spaces, laboratories, a large study centre, offices and a food-work café in the social heart of Langezijds. Around 1,000 solar panels have been installed on the roof. The former engineering hall is still recognizable thanks to the visible preservation of the raw concrete and steel construction, lots of glass and hundreds of laminated oak window frames.
There has been one crucial intervention: through large cuts, three brand-new atriums provide greenery, daylight, fresh air and form a biotope for flora and fauna. Langezijds has been given a 'social heart', thanks to three atriums with courtyard gardens. These are connected to two 'green lungs'. Remarkably, almost every room looks out onto the greenery. Langezijds has become a striking building that encourages encounters and inspiration.
