Research in green energy will be carried out at the Endlinger Center, which consists of three buildings. The buildings will be surrounded by gardens, which should create an impression of openness and connect them with the rest of the campus: they will be built in its "engineering" sector, which until now has been weakly connected with other developments on the university campus.
Glass and brick were chosen as the main materials. A special challenge was the design of the laboratory building (also there will be classrooms and meeting rooms): some of the premises, for example, the laboratory for the analysis and imaging of atoms, should be placed as close as possible to the rock base in order to reduce vibration. Instead of placing them on a typical basement floor, the architects are planning to lower the level of the surrounding area so that these laboratories also face the garden, and there is access to natural light.
A building with offices and other rooms necessary for researchers is planned next to the laboratory building; the third building will accommodate a streaming audience. The project, which is due to start in 2011, is earning a LEED silver certification.
