Opening its doors today and marking the launch of high-level research will be the Study and Research Centre (SRC) commissioned by the University of Tartu and constructed by Nordecon. The total cost of the design and construction of the centre, which is the most modern of its kind anywhere in Northern and Eastern Europe, was 7.23 million euros without VAT.
“What made construction of the SRC so special was what it’s going to be used for – which made its technical systems far more complex than with ordinary buildings,” explained Priit Luman, director of the Building Construction Division of Nordecon AS. “That said, we had a really strong team working on it from all sides, so we managed to work it out without any problems. Given the function the centre will be serving, it’s without doubt the most research-intensive building Nordecon’s ever worked on – so that’s another, very valuable, string to our bow.”
The three-storey centre, which covers a gross area of 4807 m2, was constructed just off the Viljandi highway on Maarjamõisa Field in Tartu. Nordecon launched design work on the project in February 2012, with construction commencing in summer that year.
The enclosed areas on the first and second floors of the centre feature storage facilities for animals, medical laboratories for behavioural experiments, an MRI department and surgery facilities, as well as recreational and locker rooms with sluices and air showers for employees. The third floor features a ventilation chamber and offices. The parts of the first and second floors overlooking Ravila Street are to be used as offices and a seminar room.
Due to the complexity of the SRC, the building is divided into zones in which colour coding on the floors simplifies movement between open and closed zones.
Development of the SRC, which forms part of the University of Tartu, was financed by the Archimedes Foundation (in addition to the university itself) in the amount of almost 3.5 million euros. The building was designed by Uko Künnap.
