As an alternative, Campus Development Project Manager Yvette Ramakers points to P11, behind Fenix. This prompts some laughter in the room, as the parking lot is located on the outskirts of campus. “We’re going to make that parking area more attractive, for example by adding extra camera security,” Ramakers says. The university is also exploring ways to improve access to the lot, such as improving a road behind DIFFER.

Parking will become a major challenge starting this summer, Groothuis acknowledges, but adds: “If in the coming years you find yourself circling around looking for a good parking spot, or having to walk a bit further, I ask you to look ahead to the moment when Area 19 is completed.” That is expected to be in 2029, when the cleanroom and lab building are scheduled for completion and together will form the new center of the campus.

Universe

“We’re not building Area 19 there,” says Electrical Engineering Dean Mark Bentum during a panel discussion after the presentation, “we’re creating the center of the universe.” Kees Storm, Dean of Applied Physics and Science Education, is more measured, but says the cleanroom will be “a beating heart for the semiconductor ambitions we have as a university,” referring to Project Beethoven.

The new cleanroom will be far more visible than the current one, the NanoLab, which is tucked away inside Spectrum. The new building will even feature a glass walkway running alongside the lab. “I would love for all students to have mandatory access to the cleanroom—we would really stand out to first-year students that way,” says Bentum. A few staff members from the current NanoLab in the audience seem momentarily taken aback by that suggestion.

According to Storm, the cleanroom will help attract top talent. Bentum is pleased with the additional space the Area 19 lab building will provide: “Right now, we’re practically hanging out the window trying to make everything fit into Flux.”

Intersection between disciplines

Mechanical Engineering Dean Patrick Anderson is enthusiastic about how the new buildings will bring different departments closer together. His department is currently spread across five buildings; in the future, that will be reduced to two or three, located closer to the heart of the campus. “In science, all the exciting things happen at the intersection of different disciplines. This allows us to bring those together.”

Part of Mechanical Engineering recently moved to Gemini-Noord. When Jan-Willem Schellekens, Deputy Director of Campus & Facilities, asks him about the move, Anderson jokes: “You only want to hear the good things? Not about the water damage and the 250 points we still need to address?” Still, he sees that the new labs bring fresh energy and that, by working together, challenges can be overcome.

Not bricks, but people

Ultimately, Anderson says, the construction plans are about people. He refers to former TU/e President Jan Mengelers: “He used to say, ‘I only want to invest in people, not in bricks.’ He was successful, because the number of students and staff increased significantly, but the buildings didn’t keep up.” Groothuis adds: “People need a home and top-level infrastructure to be able to excel.”

According to Storm, that is now being achieved through a joint effort. “These are collaborative facilities. You’ll always hear about the many departments, research groups, and educational aspects involved. I’m proud we’ve made this happen. Now we must take joint responsibility to make it a success.”

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.