In order to create a space that meets the current development needs of the University of Neuchatel, paradoxically, we want to go back to the source. Like the mythological goddess Gaia, the Gaia building tries to predict the future.

Just as Gaia comes from Chaos – we also stand at a point in world history where a return to our roots seems to be the only way forward. The project consciously and responsibly uses wood in its construction, aiming to achieve the lowest possible carbon footprint in its building and operation. In the same spirit, the building’s grid and functional division are characterized by adaptability – through modular solutions, the use of Gaia becomes universal in the face of many different needs in such a diverse organization as a university.

The microclimate produced by the material and ventilation solutions favors learning and modern challenges, giving users a sense of healthy spaces. Through the designed functional layout, the user is able to move intuitively through the building, without getting lost and immediately finding their destination. The adaptive lecture hall and the green lungs of the building – the glassed-in patio – mark the center. Around the building, the user is also led by a terrace running under a roof. From the lakeside, the cafe terrace complements the circuit. Gaia meets all the spatial needs declared in the competition requirements, offering high-quality communication throughout the facility and accessibility for people with disabilities.

Students and instructors have many spaces left for use – social roles are played, among other things, by the extensive entrance stairs leading to the underground part of the building, which, in addition to communication steps, are also equipped with seating areas. The stairs are preceded by a square that can be used as a kiss&go zone, but also as a meeting place. From the side of the adjacent university building, a square was created respecting its form various directions of people flow, combining the external, busy world with the relaxing influence of the lake’s aura and the panorama of the Alps. There are also planned classrooms for different learning modes with a view of greenery, and the same principle has been used in the design of the cafe, which opens up as a whole to the terrace and the lake.

A modern university building should be the result of reflection, an icon of scientific achievements. It should provide as many opportunities as possible to meet other people, while not forgetting about practicality in order to effectively improve the world around us. That is exactly what Gaia is. Healthy, forward-looking, integrating people around it. Despite emerging from Chaos – pure, simple, and wise.