The Pharma Science Building is a new, modern laboratory building for the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences as part of the University of Copenhagen’s Faculty of Health Sciences at the North Campus.
The Pharma Science Building is to be the focal point for the Health Sciences faculty, and houses the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology as well as the Department of Pharmacy sharing the four floors between them.
State-of-the-art laboratories
The building is located in the University Park, and the new and existing buildings are connected by an atrium and indoor walkways and footbridges. Interdisciplinary research collaborations between several institutes are made possible by providing new state-of-the-art GM01 certified laboratories and shared facilities.
Salutes the surroundings
The compact volume is sculpted with a twisted floorplan, which creates a more spacious atrium and provides more facade length within a limited building zone. The facades are clad with a continuous ‘skin’ of tombak panels in a rhomboid pattern, so that the building appears as a single geometric shape - only interrupted and intersected in strategic, generous openings that allow views both in and out. The dark tombak of the facades will contrast subtly against the existing buildings’ light facades. The reptilian rhomboid pattern is inspired by the work with animals in the laboratories, and it is a friendly salute to the surrounding buildings having this pattern as a part of their characteristic detailing.
Daylight and meeting points
One of the striking features of the interior of the Pharma Science Building is an opening intersecting all floors. This creates overviews, strengthening the sense of community in the learning and research environment, and provides generous amounts of daylight. The optimized daylighting is one of the key features ensuring that the Pharma Science Building is constructed as low-energy class 2015, with a total energy requirement of max. 41 kWh/m2/year. Another benefit from the design is it invites to both formal and informal meetings supporting inspiration and innovation for the scientists.