Veterinærbygningen 2021

The Veterinary Building is one of Europe’s most advanced buildings in veterinary medicine, research, and diagnostics. The goal of the co-location was to enhance the quality of education, knowledge development, and innovation in sustainable bioproduction, veterinary medicine and food science, aquaculture, and seafood production.

The building was established following a decision by the Norwegian Parliament to merge the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science and the University of Life Sciences in 2008. In May 2016, then Minister of Education Torbjørn Røe Isaksen and Minister of Agriculture and Food Jon Georg Dale laid the foundation stone for the Veterinary Building.

In 2021, the veterinarians moved into the building in Ås. Queen Sonja graced the opening ceremony. Then Minister of Agriculture and Food Olaug Bollestad and Minister of Research and Higher Education Henrik Asheim, along with representatives from the business community and partners, also attended.

About the Building

The Veterinary Building consists of eight interconnected buildings with around 2,400 rooms and a gross functional area of 63,000 square meters. The facilities include laboratories, animal stables, an animal hospital, aquariums, and other specialized rooms with veterinary medical equipment for research, diagnostics, and treatment of animals. The building houses both the main office of the Veterinary Institute, the NMBU Veterinary School, a library, and a learning center.

The building’s exterior features a red, hand-mounted brick facade. Nearly 300,000 bricks and cornice stones, each secured with two screws, are fastened to the outer walls. In addition to 25,000 square meters of outer walls, 8,000 square meters of metal facade and 1,350 windows with their own shutter solutions have been installed. Additionally, 26,000 square meters of roofing have been laid, 17,000 of which are covered with sedum. The sedum roof serves multiple functions: it provides visual appeal, binds dust, keeps the roof cool in summer, manages stormwater, and serves as a habitat for various insect species.

The Veterinary Building is constructed as a passive house. This means a well-insulated building structure with strict requirements for air leakage. To ensure minimal environmental impact in the production of materials, the suppliers chose to set up a dedicated facility centrally in Ås to produce and temporarily store the ventilation ducts for the building.

The Path to Establishment in Ås

In the early 2000s, the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science recognized that their traditional premises at Adamstuen were becoming cramped and outdated. In 2003, work began to explore various alternative options for the school, such as expansion and improvement at Adamstuen, closer collaboration with the University of Oslo, and relocation to Ås. In 2008, it was decided to establish facilities for the Veterinary School and the Veterinary Institute on the Ås campus.
 
Work began on creating functional programs and sketches, commissioning, and controlling the project for both the Veterinary School and the Veterinary Institute. A joint board was established, which became an interim board and a steering group with its own project staff.

For NMBU, this project spanned several rectors. Knut Hove and Lars Moe started the process, Hans Fredrik Hoen and Yngvild Wasteson steered the course while there were still two entities. Mari Sundli Tveit guided through the merger and towards the completion of the building, and Curt Rice could cut the ribbon just a few weeks into his tenure as rector. The merger between the institutions took place in 2014, and the relocation occurred in 2021.

Facts about the "Co-location Project"

• Approximately 700 students and 650 employees, and 280 employees at the Veterinary Institute
• Gross building area: 95,000 square meters, consisting of:
  • - Veterinary Building: 80,000 square meters, of which 17,000 square meters are for the Veterinary Institute
  • - Bikuben 2 400 square meters
  • - Senter for Husdyrforsøk, Center for Animal Experiments, 12 100 square meters
    • - New kindergarten 500 square meters
• Renovation of the existing fish laboratory: 1,200 square meters
• New park and green area: 191,000 square meters, as well as new roads, walkways, roundabouts, bus bays, etc.
• Construction start: 2013, completed in 2021
• Budget: 8.58 billion NOK for buildings, plus 1.22 billion NOK for user equipment

In addition to internal working groups, the following companies participated in the design group: Multiconsult AS, Henning Larsen Architects A/S, FABEL Arkitekter AS, Link Landskap, and Erichsen & Horgen AS.