CENTER FOR ADVANCED MOBILITY

Aachen | 2022

The Center for Advanced Mobility is a groundbreaking symbiosis between nature and technology, functionality and dynamic form, as it combines high performance laboratories within the urban environment. Designed by studioMDA for the University of Applied Sciences – The Center for Advanced Mobility considers the academic environment thoughtfully and provides a space that encourages interdisciplinary collaboration. The studioMDA designed building connects seamlessly into the existing campus, establishing itself as the epicenter of the surrounding academic community.

studioMDA has designed a 50,000 square-foot building that houses a wide range of departments, including electrical & information engineering, mechanical engineering, and aerospace engineering.  In addition to the laboratories for each academic department, the Center for Advanced Mobility also houses offices, a canteen, and lounges.

The dynamic form of the building, in response to the urban context, was developed through a series of wind studies. The final form of the Center is designed to optimize wind flow and maximum natural ventilation. The aerodynamic building form is paired with a “Standby Efficiency Shading Concept”, an automated shading system that responds to sun orientation and adjusts heating or cooling accordingly. This system allows the conditioned space to remain at an optimal temperature throughout the day.

The building is made up of two important elements, the integrated landscape and the “Thinkbox”. The Thinkbox, a floating cube, houses various academic departments. An atrium in the center of the Thinkbox provides visual transparency between different departments, activating interdisciplinary exchange. The canteen, placed between the auditorium and the Thinkbox, overlooks the campus stair and acts as the connecting hub between the public and private zones of the Center.

The Center for Advanced Mobility differentiates itself from other campus buildings by providing distinct circulation paths for cars and pedestrians. Conditioned spaces are accessible through the pedestrian entrance on the south side of the building, while a designated car entrance on the north side of the building provides access to the basement and first floor.

A campus stair connects the large lecture hall in the lower level with the street, creating a relationship with the campus that engages students, professors, and residents. The interior and exterior boundaries are blurred, providing a transparent design that allows for barrier-free visual communication. By creating this exciting urban relationship through the stairs, the forecourt becomes an opportunity to host public events, ranging from concerts to open air screenings. The Center for Advanced Mobility creates an atmosphere that encourages academic and socio-cultural synthesis and facilitates integration between public and semi-public spaces.

iF Design Award 2024

studioMDA won the iF DESIGN AWARD 2024 with the Center for Advanced Mobility Aachen University project, in the discipline Architecture, in the Institutional category. Each year, the world’s oldest independent design organization, Hannover-based iF International Forum Design GmbH, organizes the iF Design Award.

The Center for Advanced Mobility Aachen University won over the 132-member jury, made up of independent experts from all over the world. Almost 11,000 entries were submitted from 72 countries in hopes of receiving the seal of quality. Click here for more information about the winners and iF Ranking.