Roskilde University RUC - The Pergola Area
Learning environments with purpose
Designed to empower future generations
When architecture brings institution and society closer together, learning spaces actively engage with their surroundings and strengthen both education and local communities.
We see learning environments as formative spaces that contribute to young people's development, identity and engagement with the world around them. With a curious approach to how spaces can support motivating learning environments and inclusive communities, we believe in creating dynamic environments that can foster collaboration, innovation and critical thinking.
At Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, our experience extends from new buildings to transformations of historic structures, and from kindergartens to large, complex campuses. Across all scales, our ambition is to create flexible spaces for lifelong learning and shared community; places that can evolve and serve many generations to come.
Boundless communities
Architecture as a catalyst for collaboration
Environments for education do not merely house learning and innovation – they actively shape it. The right surroundings can strengthen the exchange of knowledge, perspectives and ideas across disciplines and generations. With this in mind, we believe in designing learning environments that encourage collaboration and connect people, space and knowledge.
Our redevelopment project at Roskilde University (RUC), showcases how existing structures can be brought together for a cohesive learning and working environment for researchers, staff and students. The project strengthens the campus’ coherence visually and physically, while connecting people, knowledge and communities.
The existing buildings at Roskilde University (RUC) date back to the 1970s, and after more than 50 years, the Pergola area is now undergoing a major transformation. The 8,705 m² redevelopment project involves the transformation and total renovation of five existing buildings, three new skywalks, and the construction of two linking timber buildings that will unify the campus and serve as communal spaces.
Shaping society
Architecture that connects
Schools should be open to the world around. They are not only destinations for formal education, but grounds for connecting and belonging. With the ambition to bring institution and society closer together, we seek to create conditions in which learning spaces can extend beyond institutional boundaries and enter into dialogue with their surroundings.
Especially when building in a dense urban environment, we feel responsibility to use space wisely and share it with more people. At the European School in Copenhagen, architecture becomes a connector between students and the local community. Through a public urban landscape, the school takes on more than a single purpose, functioning both as a place of learning and as a communal area extending the city space.
The European School in Copenhagen is a 14,000 m² school integrated into a site of just 4,700 m², while at the same time contributing public spaces to the surrounding neighbourhood of Carlsberg District. Distributed across five floors, the school accommodates around 900 international students from pre-school to senior year. All surfaces are used as active outdoor areas for the students but also the locals, assigning purpose to every square meter both within and outside school hours.
Learning and growth
Architecture that fosters curiosity
Learning institutions should both provide learning and knowledge but also be a space where new knowledge evolves. Being a foundation stone for research and innovation, we believe in learning environments that motivate learning while inspire creativity, critical thinking and curiosity. This approach defines both the Niels Bohr Building and LIFE Campus.
Niels Bohr Building, a part of the Natural Sciences Faculty of the University of Copenhagen, is designed to bring together research, teaching and everyday life in vibrant, interconnected environments. Centered around a striking infinity-shaped atrium, the building encourages cross-disciplinary interaction while balancing focused research with an inclusive community.
LIFE Campus is a visionary learning centre set to evoke the interest of children in the natural sciences. Located on old hunting grounds, the campus manifests an interplay between science and the surrounding nature with a digital learning environment that includes high-tech labs, a 360-degree projection hall and modern workspaces.
