A building for African research at the University of Bayreuth

As a unique location for African research in Germany - with the Institute of African Studies (IAS) and its units, the Cluster of Excellence Africa Multiple, the international graduate school BIGSAS (Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies) and the Iwalewahaus - the FZA is intended to make the University of Bayreuth a world-leading think tank in African research. The central idea behind this is to promote inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation between the diverse subjects of African studies in Bayreuth. "The University of Bayreuth's high and continuously growing reputation in African research is to be expanded by bundling specialist expertise in the FZA," says Prof. Dr. Cyrus Samimi, spokesperson of the FZA. "If we want to productively address the social and ecological challenges of the 21st century, we must both cooperate in an interdisciplinary manner and raise global awareness of Africa's role in the world," emphasises Prof. Dr Eva Spies, spokesperson of the IAS. 

All photos © W. MARKGRAF GmbH & Co KG - The illustrations represent a working status and are not binding, as further detailing and coordination will take place.

The idea of interdisciplinary collaboration will also be evident in the building: The new building will be a mixture of open, flexible (Open Creative Labs) and closed working areas (seminar/meeting rooms, offices). The goal is an innovative and stimulating research infrastructure that opens up new dimensions of African research through intensive collaboration. The University of Bayreuth's digitisation strategy is to be implemented in the Medialab of the FZA, especially through innovative data handling and the greater involvement of colleagues from Africa and other continents in the research process. Networking with partner institutions, not only in Africa, via the digital infrastructure of the Media Lab plays a central role here.

The research building will have a usable area of just under 3,000 square metres and will be located behind the GW II building as seen from the Rondell. Completion is planned for December 2024. The project is financed by the Free State and the Federal Government. Environmental aspects are also being taken into account in the construction: The FZA will be equipped with a photovoltaic system. The total output of the system is 57kWp. This corresponds to an expected annual energy production of about 57,000 kWh, which is equivalent to a CO2 saving of about 7.4 tCO2 per year, "and corresponds to the electricity demand of about 13 single-family houses", as Reinhard Schatke, Head of Central Technology at the UBT, adds.

The construction company W. MARKGRAF GmbH & Co KG was commissioned with the realisation of the new building as a total contractor. "For us, sustainability is already an important topic in the construction phase. Markgraf also relies heavily on partners from the region for this project. In this way, we avoid long journeys for personnel and materials. In addition, many components are produced with a high degree of industrial prefabrication in our company-owned prefabricated concrete plant in the Upper Palatinate. This process saves resources and at the same time ensures high quality," says Tobias Müller, Project Manager W. MARKGRAF GmbH & Co KG. For the construction process, the construction company is aiming for the DGNB "Sustainable Building Site" certificate, a planning and management tool for quality assurance and risk minimisation. The topics of ecology, economy, socio-cultural and functional aspects as well as technology and processes are evaluated in terms of their sustainability.

Hannes Csernetzky, head of department at the Bayreuth State Building Authority, explains why a total contractor was commissioned for the first time: "With a total contractor (TU), all responsibilities of building object planning and construction are concentrated on one building contractor as the contractor. What remains important is that optimal construction planning and execution is implemented within pre-determined economic limits." University Chancellor Dr Nicole Kaiser sums up the advantages of a total contractor: "The federal government and the state - and thus the taxpayers - can assume a guaranteed fixed price, and we and the state building authority have one contact person for the entire project. This allows for a faster and hopefully smoother process under the auspices of the Bayreuth State Building Authority. We are looking forward to the experience gained from this award procedure."