Campus in transition: building a green future together

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is building a future-proof and sustainable Campus Woudestein. In 2022, two new energy-neutral buildings were completed: the Langeveld Building and the Sports Building. From 2024 to 2027, the university will renovate the striking Tinbergen Building, the largest building on the Woudestein campus. This project has received the prestigious BREEAM Outstanding design certificate. In addition, EUR is also becoming more sustainable by dismantling buildings on campus.

BREEAM Outstanding renovation

The imposing Tinbergen Building, in the heart of Campus Woudestein, is a brutalist municipal monument that has been in use since 1968. The renovation of the building offers an opportunity to make it significantly more sustainable. The use of double glazing, solar panels, energy-efficient installations and circular materials, among other things, will lead to lower energy consumption. The renovation of the Tinbergen Building has been awarded the BREEAM design certificate “Outstanding”, the highest possible rating for sustainable and environmentally friendly construction.

Five buildings dismantled

To further improve sustainability, EUR will close five buildings on campus in 2025 and 2026 and dismantle them in a circular manner. The buildings are outdated and unsustainable, and their maintenance is costly. Moreover, the buildings are not essential to meet the university’s space requirements. Using space efficiently saves energy and frees up space for the campus of the future.

Biodiversity

Greening the campus and increasing biodiversity are also high on the agenda. For example, EUR is working with an ecologist to create a nature-friendly bank in the large pond on campus, so that animals and plants can settle in and around the pond.

Joint tasks

EUR is exploring with various partners in the vicinity of the campus, such as Excelsior, Brainpark and Arboretum Trompenburg, how they can jointly tackle social tasks. Examples include improving the quality of life and greening the environment. In the coming years, the partners will work together to shape the area’s development.