The University of Twente has unveiled its new CUBE Workshop Building, a groundbreaking 4,734-square-meter educational facility that redefines how engineering technology is taught and practiced. Designed by Civic Architects in collaboration with VDNDP and Studio GroenSchild, the building serves as a compact extension to the existing Horst complex on the Drienerlo campus in Enschede, Netherlands.
The building's most striking feature is its sunken workshop floor, which sits 1.4 meters below ground level and functions as the heart of the facility. This seven-meter-high metal and welding workshop creates a dramatic entry experience, allowing visitors to overlook the entire workspace and observe students and researchers operating various machines. The design transforms the building into what architects describe as an "expo for the faculty," making the work of the Faculty of Engineering Technology visible and accessible to all who enter.
CUBE houses five specialized workshops dedicated to welding, metalworking, model building, and assembly, along with approximately 500 square meters of laboratory and measuring spaces. The decision to stack these facilities vertically rather than spreading them horizontally keeps the building's footprint compact while optimizing circulation and visual connections between spaces. The welding workshops are positioned on the right side of the building, while a logistics entrance on the north side provides access for trucks and forklifts.
The upper floors continue the building's functional organization, with assembly and model workshops located on the second floor and laboratory rooms on the third level. A pyramid-shaped atrium brings natural daylight deep into the building while visually connecting all floors, ensuring that work processes remain visible throughout the facility. Circulation spaces, service cores, and storage areas are strategically placed along the eastern edge, creating what architects call a "backbone" that feeds the freely configurable workshop spaces.
Structurally, the building represents both engineering innovation and architectural expression. The design features two main bays with impressive 14-meter spans and a narrower bay for the backbone circulation. Steel trusses spanning two stories reduce the number of columns needed in the workshop areas, maximizing flexible use of space. Three CLT (cross-laminated timber) cores containing elevators, stairs, and services provide structural stability while creating a distinctive architectural appearance that echoes the service towers of the original Horst complex.
The building's relationship with the existing campus demonstrates careful consideration of architectural heritage and contemporary needs. The original Horst complex, designed by Dick van Mourik in the 1960s, is considered one of the crown jewels of the University of Twente campus. CUBE functions as a new satellite building that respects the modernist ensemble while offering a contemporary interpretation of its principles.
Climate awareness influenced every aspect of the exterior design, with each facade responding to its specific orientation. The northwest-facing facades are transparent, offering views of the campus landscape and bringing in optimal diffuse daylight. In contrast, the southeast and west facades are more closed to prevent overheating during peak sun hours. The ground floor features wide windows with deep reveals that showcase the sunken workshop like a display window for engineering technology.
The material palette reinforces the building's technical character while adding warmth and human scale. Steel trusses are coated in fire-resistant blue to emphasize the spatial structure, while light gray floors and recycled PET ceilings provide calm surfaces that reflect light throughout the spaces. Glass partitions maximize visual connections between different areas, and larch frames both inside and outside add natural warmth to the robust industrial aesthetic.
The CUBE Workshop Building represents a new approach to educational architecture, where functionality and interaction take precedence over traditional isolation of research activities. By making work processes visible and encouraging collaboration between different disciplines, the building supports the faculty's mission to train students in designing technology that can change the world. The facility officially opened in 2025, providing the University of Twente's Faculty of Engineering Technology with a state-of-the-art workspace that matches their innovative educational approach.
