UU wants to sell Bijlhouwerstraat; USG to move to international campus

The cuts in Utrecht University's real estate budget are taking shape, prompted by substantial austerity measures from the government, as well as inflation and rising costs. In total, Utrecht University wants to dispose of 15 per cent of its teaching, research and office spaces. The buildings that the university will keep will be used more intensively.

UU had already announced that it would keep its three campuses but dispose of some buildings. The university will do its best to spare the buildings used for education and research as much as possible. Construction plans that are not part of the primary process, such as the circular pavilion for the Botanical Gardens, will be postponed. These plans will be implemented in the next few years.

Munststraat 2a and Kromme Nieuwegracht 20-22. Photo: UU

City centre and International Campus
Utrecht University has announced what it considers to be the best scenario for the faculties of Humanities and Law, Economics & Governance. Its plans are subject to change after consultation with the concerned faculties and their councils.

This “preferred scenario” envisions selling the building on Bijlhouwerstraat, which currently houses the Utrecht University School of Governance. The school would move to the International Campus in 2030. Therefore, the building on Bijlhouwerstraat will no longer be renovated. The Philosophy, Politics & Economics programme will also have to leave the Descartes Building and move to the city centre.

It is not yet clear what the accommodation for both programmes will look like. Both have the Special Characteristic Small-scale and Intensive Education (BKKI) status, which requires having an “infrastructure of their own” where staff and students can form a close-knit community. A space should be reserved specifically for the programme.

University College Utrecht and the Utrecht School of Economics will be allowed to remain on the International Campus, but UU wants all buildings to be used more intensively.

The Media & Culture Studies programme, offered by the Faculty of Humanities, must prepare for a move as well. The department may move to the UU building at Trans 10. After the move, the connected buildings at Muntstaat 2a and Kromme Nieuwegracht 20-22 will be sold, according to previous plans.=

Divesting educational space
The university also wants to dispose of the buildings it currently rents. Once a lease expires, they may not renew it. For example, the university is investigating whether the buildings on Israëllaan, Janskerkhof 15a, Drift 13 and Daltonlaan are as needed for teaching purposes as once assumed. As for the city centre, the construction of the Anna Maria van Schurman building (on the streets Achter de Dom and Achter Sint Pieter) will go on, and the completion is scheduled for mid-2028. Once the building is ready, UU intends to move some of the classes currently given on Israëllaan there.

In a meeting with the employees’ consultative body from the University Corporate Offices (UBD), the university explained that it aims to bring the amount of educational space back to the volume it had before 2021. In that year, the number of educational spaces was expanded due to an increase in the number of students. However, UU believes that many teaching spaces are not being used optimally, so it has been working on a plan to improve the use of its classrooms. This plan includes spreading lectures more evenly across the days of the week and offering students more lectures after 5 pm. However, the project has been met with a lot of criticism and has not been progressing smoothly.

The office building of the Law programme at Achter de Sint Pieter 200. Photo: DUB

Less office space
UU is looking to achieve the greatest gains by saving on office space. This way, it will have as much space as possible for teaching and research. Having a designated work space is becoming a thing of the past because employees are now allowed to work from home. This means the university doesn't need as much office space anymore. 

For the city centre, this means that the faculties of Humanities and Law, Economics & Governance will share buildings. Other Utrecht University employees will also work at the Johanna Hudig building at Achter de Sint Pieter 200. That's the recently renovated office building used by the Faculty of Law, Economics & Governance. ‘There will be a reduction in space,’ the university says on the Intranet, without specifying how much space will be reduced. 

The plans are still being drafted. The university will discuss them with the faculties in the city centre this week. The complete scope of the real estate changes for the entire university will be unveiled at the beginning of June, and the official decision will be made this autumn.