The “Cognitarium Knowledge Center” at the Koszalin University of Technology is, in the spirit of our work, a project for the development of the campus as an integrated universe that creates an intellectually stimulating and culturally welcoming environment for its community of users—students, faculty, and city residents. The “Cognitarium” we propose is an inspiring, eco-friendly space that respects both the natural environment and the human ecosystem, and aligns with the trend of socially responsible architecture. Architecture has always been a sign of the times in which it is created, bearing witness to cultural, social, and technological transformations. The beginning of the 21st century is a period of unprecedented pace of technological, civilizational, and socio-cultural evolution. In these times of change and transformation, the “Cognitarium Knowledge Center” building embodies three timeless core principles: responsibility, flexibility, and friendliness.
Responsibility—as social responsibility manifested in sustainable and eco-friendly design and construction, grounded in respect for the environment and its resources, as well as in reducing the carbon footprint of CO2 emissions. This principle is reflected in our philosophy
Cognitarium architecture, the selection of specific technologies, solutions, and design decisions, the main ones being:
Wood as a primary building material—renewable and environmentally friendly—we use 90% renewable material in the form of glued laminated timber for the construction of Cognitarium, a material with a negative carbon footprint compared to concrete or steel, the use of which has been limited to an absolute minimum. Glued laminated timber forms the building’s main load-bearing structure. Integrated into the facade, it enables the rational and complementary use of this material, leveraging its excellent thermal insulation properties while minimizing the use of facade insulation materials. The wooden structure is passively protected from the elements within the facade; passively through the use of flashings on horizontal elements and joints to prevent rainwater accumulation and penetration, and actively through wood impregnation and UV protection; combined with the regular maintenance routinely performed on structures of this type, this ensures their expected durability. Modularity and Prefabrication – a simple and modular design combined with glued laminated timber, a material ideally suited for prefabrication, allows the entire building structure to be prepared off-site and then quickly assembled, which shortens construction time, lowers assembly costs, and reduces energy consumption and the use of heavy, environmentally harmful equipment throughout the entire construction process. The modularity and repeatability of the architectural design and structural elements streamline the range of structural components and provide efficient options for transforming the building during its use, as well as for future expansion and modification of the building volume.
Flexibility – the ability to respond to changing needs. We live in an era where cultural, social, and technological changes occur very rapidly and have a direct impact on our surroundings. Throughout its life cycle, a building should allow for
responding to these changes in a non-invasive manner, unrestricted by the building’s structure. To this end, the following features are provided:
A simple structural layout—based on a 10x10m module, 100% prefabricated, allowing for flexible spatial arrangement and the opening of spaces between floors.
Other elements contributing to the project’s flexibility include:
“Open” internal structure – enabling easy and simple modification of the space and free reorganization of the structure depending on the changing needs and requirements of users. The logical arrangement of structural columns and beams ensures a simple and intuitive configuration of the structure both vertically and horizontally. “Open” external structure – the building’s structure can be extended outward through potential expansion by adding modules in any direction, both horizontally and vertically, providing technically predictable possibilities for expansion and renovation while maintaining the building’s coherent and logical character. This is important in light of the University’s future investment plans for additional departments, which may be established as an extension of the existing structure of the Cognitarium library building.
Friendliness – realized in two aspects:
– First, by creating a welcoming, open academic facility with a clear operational structure, utilizing natural building materials, filled with natural light, and ensuring a pleasant indoor climate through, among other things, free ventilation and adjustable natural light. A building that facilitates interaction with the surroundings through large panoramic windows and an equally symbolic openness to the internal forum, which serves as the heart of student community activity. The use of wood as the dominant material also contributes to a better indoor climate by naturally maintaining air humidity, balancing temperature fluctuations, and achieving optimal acoustic conditions.
– and secondly, as an environmentally friendly facility in both social and natural contexts, minimizing its impact on the natural environment both during construction and operation. A building friendly to the biotope and biosphere on a supra-local scale, as we are aware that every local action has a global impact on the fate of our universe.