Construction and establishment of research infrastructure for the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana

University of Ljubljana

University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

The building, built to a modern design, will be integrated into the Brdo campus with a view to promoting interdisciplinary cooperation between different University of Ljubljana member institutions. Construction is scheduled to commence in 2026, with completion planned for June 2029.

The development will provide teaching and research laboratories, including high-technology facilities, and associated equipment comparable to those of leading institutions internationally. This will substantially enhance the research and development capacity of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and enable the introduction of new research programmes and fields that are central to its role as a driver of the green and digital transition.

The building will be highly energy-efficient and designed to meet the highest standards of functionality, sustainable construction, technical, biological and chemical safety, and cost-effectiveness in delivery, operation and maintenance. It is also intended to represent a significant architectural achievement. The project will comply with the DNSH principle, ensuring that it does not cause significant harm to key environmental objectives.

The new facility is conceived as a contemporary structure composed of stacked horizontal volumes of varying sizes and forms. The building configuration is basement plus ground floor plus two upper floors plus terrace level. A mezzanine is located within part of the basement.

The ground floor plan is organised into three longitudinal zones. Teaching spaces are located in the northern zone, while the southern zone is mainly taken up by laboratories. These two zones are separated by a central spine which extends along the length of the building and is replicated on the upper floors. The teaching spaces in the northern zone comprise four lecture theatres and three multipurpose halls. Laboratories are located in the southern part of the building.

On the first floor, within the teaching cluster in the northern zone, there are 17 classrooms, offices and a meeting room for the business and innovation centre. A central study and social area for students separates the teaching spaces from laboratories and offices in the southern zone. The entire second floor is dedicated to laboratories and offices, with the exception of an area on the northern side which links the common areas on the first floor with those on the terrace level.

The terrace level accommodates the faculty’s shared facilities. The library and reading room are located in the northern section. The western section contains a functional training space, while administrative offices are situated in the eastern section. The southern section comprises a canteen with kitchen, a bar, an academic club and special lecture theatre.

The building is served by an access ramp that will be shared by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Pharmacy (the subject of a separate project). Underground parking is located in the basement and mezzanine levels and provides 314 parking spaces for cars.

The building has four large landscaped atria, providing natural light to communication areas and laboratories.

The project also includes the arrangement of shared external areas and common utilities infrastructure for the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Pharmacy, including a shared entrance to the underground car park.