TF-kvartalet, 1950s and 1960s 

History

Early in the 1900s, the fields stretched along National Road 152. It provided ample space for development for research and educational activities. 
 
In the 1950s, two smaller buildings were erected in the area we now call Campus Øst (East). These were early versions of the two buildings we now call Fløy 2 and Fløy 3, Wing 2 and Wing 3.

In 1964, three additional large wings were constructed. Today, they are known as Fløy 1, the Teaching Wing, and the Laboratory and Practice Wing, and they form the main building at the TF-quarter. All of this was to house the Agricultural Engineering Institute (LTI), which was established in 1947 and was an independent institute under the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Norwegian Agricultural College (NLH). The academic environments within construction, hydrotechnics, and mechanical engineering were to be located here. Fløy 1 was part of the Marshall Plan and was financed by the oil company Caltex. The building was equipped with a bomb shelter and was intended to be converted into a hospital in times of crisis or war.

In 1965, 1967, and 1968, various garages were added to the area. These are what we now call Fløy 4 and Fløy 5. All these buildings gave the building complex the name LT-kvartalet, The LT-quarter. This name remained until 1991.

Starting point of a possible civil engineering education at NLH

There was a major reorganization at NLH in the early 1990s, reducing 35 institutes to 12. 

This led to, among other things, the merger of the Department of Physics with the Department of Building Technology, the Department of Hydrotechnics, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering from January 1, 1991. These NLH institutes were co-located and merged with the Agricultural Engineering Institute (LTI) to form the Department of Technical Sciences. At that time, LTI was experiencing financial difficulties due to a decline in student numbers and assignments.

The Department of Physics had its offices on the first floor of Urbygningen. They had their instrument maker’s workshop in much of the basement of the same building. The buildings in Campus Øst had to be expanded before the department could move up there. 

The head of the Department of Technical Sciences, Anders Nygaard, was the driving force behind the construction of a new floor over Fløy 2 and its extension. The expansion was necessary for the Department of Physics to move from Urbygningen to the TF-quarter in 1992. The instrument maker’s workshop was placed in the extension of Fløy 2.

According to the memo dated June 17, 1991 – case number 91-326-7, the renovation was budgeted to cost 1,250,000 NOK. 

Civil Engineering Education

Forces at NLH believed it was important to gather the technical environments, as they had plans to establish a civil engineering education. When the merging of the technical subjects and physics was a fact, it marked the beginning of the civil engineering education at NLH. The initiators of the education included Vidar Thue-Hansen, Are Aastveit, and Erik Plahte.

 
Fløy 1 was constructed in concrete with plaster and covered approximately 3300 sqm (BRA). It was a three-story building with a basement and some technical area on the roof. The building was designed by architect Bjarne Sandbakken.
 
The building has undergone various renovations both internally and externally over the years. After more than 50 years, it needed improvements. The total renovation of the part parallel to the road RV152 was carried out in 2017 and 2018. 

 
TF-kvartalet fløy 1, 2018 

Who is located in the TF Block in the 2000s?

Around 2003, a new reorganization was carried out in connection with the transition to university status. Parts of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences and the entire Institute of Cartography were merged with the Institute of Technical Sciences to form the Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology. The teacher education program became part of this department shortly after. In connection with this, Fløy 3 was converted from a machine hall to offices and lecture halls. This investment cost approximately 10 million NOK.

In 2016, UMB became NMBU, and the university introduced faculties. The Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology became the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology. The faculty has seen a significant increase in the number of students and staff. 

Growth and development leads to importance of rehabilitation projects to result in flexible spaces and new working methods that increase capacity for workspaces and student areas within the available physical and economic frameworks. This was done to some extent during the total rehabilitation of Fløy 1. 

Total Rehabilitation

The TF-quarter is not protected, but the main wing has a typical 1960s architectural expression that the university wanted to preserve. Therefore, the architect was commissioned to ensure that the rehabilitation of the existing wing and any extensions would maintain and support the same expression. 
 
The building was worn out, and it turned out that it was necessary to replace quite a lot of facilities and building parts. This was important for the building to be usable for another 40 to 60 years. It was decided to proceed with the option of constructing a cafeteria extension. This expanded the project and the project scope, and the total cost increased significantly. The project amounted to 140 million NOK. Fløy 1 is now 4100 sqm (gross area). 

Funding for upgrades was applied for from the Ministry of Education. They provided a grant of 35 million NOK. Enova provided a grant of 700,000 NOK for energy efficiency measures in the building.

This was a turnkey project that was completed on schedule. There was good cooperation between the contractor, architect Øystein Midtbø from ØKAW As (later Fabel Architects), other subcontractors, and the university’s project group. The project had a tight schedule and had to be ready for the start of classes in August 2018. 

 
What was done? 

Fløy 1 was stripped almost down to the concrete structure externally, and some interior walls were moved and demolished. Then the building was rebuilt. A new technical fourth floor and an extension containing meeting rooms, a cafeteria, and common areas were established. When adding a new floor or extension, it is important to calculate the load-bearing capacity of the existing building. One must ensure that the existing building can support the additions. In this project, lightweight construction was used by employing cross-laminated timber as the load-bearing structure in the extensions. Despite choosing cross-laminated timber, parts of the existing building had to be reinforced. The contractor, in collaboration with the university, chose to strengthen the load-bearing structures with steel transfer beams and lightweight carbon fiber reinforcement. These fibers are visible in the concrete floor of the fourth floor, so they can be used in the faculty’s teaching.
 

Technical Room Designed for University Teaching

The technical room is a space well-suited for both operation and learning. The outer wall is a 100 sqm large glass wall with solar panels visible from both inside and outside. A long hallway has been created so that students can see the technical systems. They can observe the choice of materials in construction and reinforcement with carbon fibers, and they can sit at a desk to monitor operational information from the control panel.
 
A 130 sqm solar panel field has been established on the roof. Unfortunately, there have been issues getting the solar panels to work. A new investment was made in 2024 to start energy production. Additionally, a smaller area with a sedum roof, which is a green roof with sedum plants to manage stormwater, has been installed. 
 

Environment, Reuse, and Recycling 

What could be reused, was reused:  

• Concrete in the load-bearing structure and some bricks from interior walls that had to be moved were reused. 
• The windows were replaced. The new windows have at least 5 layers and a U-value of 0.29, while the walls have 0.18. This results in significantly less heat and cold leakage.
• The sorting rate at the construction site was 95%. 
• Construction site heating was done with district heating, and the contractor used emission-free cabins during the demolition process. 
• Stormwater management is done in an open channel in the area near the cafeteria and main entrance. 
• Space efficiency was possible when it turned out that load-bearing walls were not where expected, allowing changes to the room structure and achieving more uniform and efficient room sizes. 
   

The information about the building and project is sourced from the Property Department’s building archive and project information.