New Veterinary Medicine facilities making progress

Suddenly, everything seems to be moving quickly. On Monday, the ground near the Tolakker teaching farm started to be prepared for the construction of a new building to house educational and research activities from the Faculty of Medicine. The construction works are set to begin later this quarter and the building is expected to be completed by next summer. This is the first major step in the faculty's accommodation sustainability plan.

In 2019, Veterinary Medicine and the Campus & Facilities management announced a plan to make the faculty's premises more sustainable and concentrated. The faculty wanted to move closer to Tolakker and away from the Martinus de Bruin building and the Androclus and Nieuw Gildestein buildings, which are outdated and energy-guzzling.

The idea was to build the faculty's new home where the De Bruin was. However, before that building could demolished, a new education and research facility had to be built for the employees and animals of the Farm Animals department on the site. 

Once the faculty's new building is ready, the university will be able to sell the Androclus and Nieuw Gildestein buildings.

Design of the future education & research building near Tolakker by BCT Architects, Engineers and Consultants, in collaboration with ArchiTech

Education & research building
Initially, the plan envisioned the faculty's new building to be completed by mid-2026, but it had to be delayed for several reasons. It took some time to find a contractor for the new education and research centre, for example. But now that one has been found, things are moving quickly.

The university expects the Department of Farm Animals to be able to use the facilities in a year and a half. Classes will be ministered in the building in conjunction with the Tolakker educational farm. As for research, Debbie Jaarsma, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, says on UU's website the building will house research into the effects of sustainable agriculture on animal health and welfare, such as studies about chicken husbandry.

Contractor Medicom Six will build the facility. The same company built the Princess Máxima Centre and the operating rooms at University Medical Centre Utrecht.

The main building of the new education and research facility will have a surface area of approximately 4,100 square metres. There will also be two adjacent buildings, one for technology and one that will be used as a stable.

Design of a classroom in the new Faculty of Veterinary Medicine building, made by DP6 in collaboration with Vakwerk architects.

New faculty building
The Martinus de Bruin building can be dismantled as soon as the R&D facility is completed next year and the Farm Animals Department has moved. The new faculty building for education, research and staff will be built on that site and part of the adjacent car park. The faculty has also taken a step in that direction.

Last week, on January 28, the faculty signed a contract with the architectural firms DP6 Architectuurstudio and Vakwerk Architects, who will design the new 28,000-square-metre faculty building together. In addition to offices, this building will also contain laboratories, lecture halls, workgroup rooms and study spots. The design is centred around a large atrium, which has been given the working title Levenskabinet (Cabinet of Life). The atrium is intended to be a showcase for education and research, according to DP6's website.

"This building will breathe veterinary medicine," says Debbie Jaarsma, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, on the Intranet. "We will offer our researchers and students state-of-the-art facilities to work on animal health, as well as the health of people and the environment. In addition, we will reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible, which is entirely in line with our values."

The designers will build the new building on the current basement of the De Bruin building and reuse as many materials as they can. A contractor should be found to help design the building by the end of the year. Construction works are expected to start at the end of 2028, and the building should be ready for use by mid-2031.

DP6 is no stranger to Utrecht University either. They also created the design for the Anna Maria van Schurman building in the city centre, which will replace the Pnyx, soon to be demolished. Vakwerk Architects has extensive experience in the construction of educational and hospital buildings.

Future map of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Photo and illustration by UU