The U03 building is one of the oldest sections of the University’s main building. As part of the renovation, the traditional corridor layout has been abandoned, and even the building’s roof was removed to create a modern learning environment. This made it possible to design larger lecture halls and more spacious learning areas that accommodate the growing number of students. The solutions being tested in this project are intended to serve as a model for the renovation of other university buildings.

“We want to create a building that is more open, more flexible and brings research and teaching closer to people. At the same time, the spaces must be able to evolve over time and be easily reconfigured according to changing needs,” said Professor Jarek Kurnitski, Vice-Rector for Research at Tallinn University of Technology.

One of the project’s innovations is the construction of laboratories with glass walls facing the internal corridors. This will allow students, staff and visitors to observe research activities without disrupting scientific work or compromising safety.

The building’s heating, cooling and ventilation systems will be managed by an artificial intelligence-based control solution that automatically adjusts the indoor climate according to actual occupancy. When rooms are unoccupied, the systems will operate at minimum capacity. As people enter, the system will regulate ventilation, heating and cooling based on the number of occupants, carbon dioxide levels and indoor temperature.

“This approach also helps us adapt to demographic change. In the future, student numbers and space requirements will not remain constant in either scale or form. University buildings must therefore be able to adapt to these changes,” Kurnitski explained.

The building will also feature a new type of demand-controlled ventilation system that is simpler and more reliable than existing solutions. In lecture halls, teaching rooms and study areas, the building services systems will respond to actual occupancy rather than fixed schedules. This ensures that in learning spaces open around the clock, appropriate ventilation, lighting and indoor climate are maintained regardless of when the facilities are used.

The renovation project also introduces quadruple-glazed windows that have not previously been manufactured in series in Estonia. More than 400 new windows will help reduce both heating and cooling demand while significantly improving the building’s energy performance. At the same time, the project will provide an opportunity to evaluate how this type of window performs in Estonia’s climate and to share the findings with the wider construction sector.