EHA designs DIFFER

January 2012 After MetaForum EHA again will design a building for the campus of Eindhoven University of Technology. The campus will undergo dramatic changes in the coming years, aiming to profit optimally from mixing science, enterprise and housing. DIFFER (currently referred to as "Rijnhuizen") is a part of FOM (Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter, part of NWO - Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) and is as yet located in Nieuwegein, but in need of new facilities and eager to team up with Eindhoven University of Technology. DIFFER conducts research in the fields of nuclear fusion, surface and interface fusics, that can be summarized as "fundamental energy research". Crown jewel is the Magnum-PSI plasmagenerator that plays an important part in developing and establishing nuclear fusion as a future source of energy.

The new building will stand at the heart of the campus and will be designed within the new urban masterplan that was created by the unoversity under supervision of Christian Rapp. Energy research being the main focus of its inhabitant, the building will of course be designed to be extremely sustainable, aiming for a Breeam "very good" certificate. EHA was selected through a European tender procedure and forms an integral design team with partners IMd (construction engineering), Deerns (consultants for M&E and sustainability), Peutz (building fysics) and IGG (cost consultant). The design process will start immediately with preparations for the charrette period (intensive design workshops on location) and will result in a completed design by the end of this year.