FIRSTlife goes urban!

The vision of our modular student building extension is to be universal. It is meant to be an extension for the type of buildings, not just one site. The unique base of FIRSTLIFE can, with dimension adjustments, fit on a structure of different buildings.

It has to be as sustainable as it can be. We use recyclable and recycled materials. Upcycling of materials is not just a word for us. We also use the life-cycle assessment (LCA) method to decrease the environmental impact of our design to the minimum, including climate change.

It has to be more than just a place to sleep. It provides places to meet, think and have fun. The building itself is not in a vacuum. It’s part of the city. Therefore, it is consistent with the outside urban situation while improving it.

We use horizontal and also vertical rootzone wastewater treatment for recycling wastewater. Recycled water is stored in retention tanks and can be used inside the house and for irrigation of green roofs.

We are using Building Information Modeling (BIM) for our design. This next-gen building design environment contains all information about the building and integrates programs for each profession into one holistic design. It, among others, helps to operate the building throughout its lifespan.

For the lighting of interiors, we are using modern biodynamic lightning. It reacts to the daytime and modifies the spectrum of light to respect circadian rhythms, which are important for occupants psychical and physical health. Furthermore, outdoor lighting is designed to not increase light smog.

We designed our systems to power the building with electricity from renewable sources. In this case, solar with battery storage. We are also using a new hybrid photovoltaic system, which provides both electricity and hot water.

Smart building requires smart solutions. We will use predictive algorithms for measuring and then controling our building systems. These learning algorithms should help us save energy and increase indoor environment quality.

We are in the middle of a fundraising campaign to gain money, material and equipment for our project. It also gives us valuable feedback from the outside world, since our partners from business can evaluate whether our design is viable.

If no one knows about our project, we won’t change a thing. We, therefore, communicate via media channels.We are in contact with public through accompanying events, such as conferences and on student festivals. Want to know more about our activities? Just scroll a little bit down…