THE CAMPUS RESEARCH & TOURIST CENTRE

The brief for the design thesis 2006 presented the task of proposing a large campus organization together with a building proposal for a concomitant building for a site on the outskirts of Reykjavik, Iceland. The urban proposals were solved as group work while the building proposals were conducted on an individual basis.

The preceding research had explored campus organizations as viable models for urban rejuvenation and development. These models centered on the public access to functions and services on the campus and drew on the semi-autonomy of campus organizations to generate a highly diverse yet focused life within the grounds of the campus. For the site - the location of the old, city airport, the campus model was deemed appropriate with respect to the surroundings, which included university and research buildings and associated institutions. The city has planned to close down the city airport and former military base to give room for a new, large extension of the city center, which is situated to the north.

The individual building proposals ranged from research libraries to experimental centers for new energy. Some of the proposals included associated tourist information centers and student and researcher housing.