AU presents a new plan for the campus in Aarhus – gathers activities in fewer square metres

Disclaimer: This text was translated using machine translation / AI and post-edited by Maria Nielsen Pedersen

Aarhus University has just revealed the Campus 3.0 plan – a blueprint for AU's campus development over the next ten years, up to 2034. The board has approved the plan, and with the recent sale of AU's stake in Navitas to the real estate company AAA United, owned by Anders Holch Povlsen, the management team can now reveal the details of the plan, which largely concerns activities on the campus in Aarhus.   

The plan states that Aarhus University will concentrate its activities in Aarhus around the University Park, the upcoming campus in the University City, and new buildings to supplement the existing facilities at Katrinebjerg. As a result, AU will be leaving its locations at Fuglesangs Allé, Tåsingegade, Fredrikshus, the Nobel Park, and Navitas. However, AU will continue its activities at Moesgaard, where anthropology and archaeology are located, as well as on Dalgas Avenue in Aarhus, where sports science is located and soon public health science will be too.

The plan includes a number of relocations involving several faculties as well as the administration. However, the most significant change is probably the decision to move Arts' activities from Kasernen and the Nobel Park to the southern part of the University City.

University director Kristian Thorn explains that one of the reasons for the change is that the university's management team and board have moved away from the original plan, which envisioned mixed-use developments in the southern part of the University City:

“When we looked at the possibilities and number of square metres needed for the faculties' future requirements, the management team, in close dialogue with the board, concluded that this is a historic opportunity to unite the campus and bring the faculties together. Aarhus University has an exceptionally attractive study environment, and to strengthen this advantage, the best plan was to gather AU and the study environments in a setting close to the city.”

Fewer square metres

The plan notes that the past ten years have been characterised by external and internal changes that have affected the university’s physical development. It highlights tighter financial constraints, faculty division, and increased focus on digitalisation, which have required ‘space optimisation’. Consequently, the new plan includes a reduction in square metres, with a ‘densification’ of 10 percent. However, for the faculty of Arts, the new plan means a 25 percent reduction in available square metres.

“It's true that we are optimising our use of space, and we are building on the experience we have gained at Aarhus BSS during the move to the University City. Our experience has shown that we can optimise space utilisation while still maintaining excellent working conditions and, not least, study facilities,” says Kristian Thorn.

He emphasises that even though Aarhus BSS has not yet moved from Fuglesangs Allé to the University City, the planning has progressed far enough on paper to gather valuable insights.

“Arts will experience a study environment like never before, as they have previously been spread across multiple locations. The Nobel Park is a great office building, but in terms of the study environment, we expect to reach a whole new level with the connection and proximity to the University Park and Aarhus BSS,” says Kristian Thorn.

When asked if moving to fewer square metres will lead to more open-plan offices and smaller study facilities, Kristian Thorn responds:

“That’s definitely not the expectation. There were already opportunities to optimise space at Arts with the current square metres available. By combining these with the insights gained at Aarhus BSS, we believe it can be done effectively. We don't want it to be perceived as a downscaling,” he says.

Maintains rent budget

Similarly, the university director rejects the idea that the move to fewer square metres is financially motivated.

“I can completely dismiss that idea. While financial considerations are a necessary part of the process, they haven't been the driving force, and we won’t end up with a rent saving. We are maintaining our overall rent budget, but we are significantly renewing our building stock,” he says.

The one-time costs associated with the plan have been saved up, partly by drawing on the university's equity, the university director adds.

Administration close to the users

As the university director, Kristian Thorn is also the head of the university's administration, which is part of the relocations outlined in the new campus plan.

“The vision is to bring the administration closer to its users; that's one of the reasons we're moving AU Research into the University Park, to provide easy access to the services they offer, including fundraising and research collaboration agreements.”

AU Student Administration and Services will be spread across three locations – how is that a good idea from an academic perspective?

“The plan is for the Counselling and Support Centre to be located separately from the more administrative part of AU Student Administration and Services, and we believe this is a sound decision. It's crucial for the Support Centre to have a location with many single-person offices due to the number of meetings, and good access for students is essential,” Kristian Thorn says, and continues:

“Additionally, the distances will be small, so we expect it to work well on a daily basis. Units that naturally belong together will not be placed in different locations. We are developing a cohesive plan,” says the university director, who believes the plan is advantageous from the perspective of administrative staff as well.

Wanted: The physical meeting

Kristian Thorn explains that while the new campus plan heavily focuses on Aarhus, changes are also happening at several other AU campuses.

“Campus Viborg is developing rapidly – we’re not done creating facilities there, and much more will happen in the coming years. Emdrup will also see changes. We've terminated the lease on Building D, so we need to renovate some of the existing structures to create better lecture theatre facilities. In Herning, the buildings will get new roofs.”

When asked what excites him the most about the new plan, Kristian Thorn replies:

“As university director, I’m thrilled to be able to present a comprehensive plan for developing Aarhus University as a unified and city-centred institution. It's truly unique; I don't think I know of any other university in Europe that has managed such significant development within the framework of a major city. Additionally, I see immense potential in further enhancing our already strong study environment.”

He believes the plan makes a statement in a digital age where you might think that future teaching will largely take place online.

“We are embracing a completely different vision of a campus-based university, where we value the interaction between students, the material, and active researchers and lecturers. This is where genuine academic formative education occurs. An underlying premise in our campus development is that we value the physical meeting.”