House of Science to open on January 28 at the University of Latvia Academic Centre

Monday, January 28 will mark a new stage in the history of the University of Latvia (UL) – at 14:00 in Torņakalns, Jelgavas iela 3, the new House of Science will open its doors to augment the UL Academic Centre. The House of Science will comprise the studies and research in the disciplines of exact sciences, medicine and life sciences in one location, promoting synergy between study and research sectors at the UL. Construction of the House of Science commenced in the summer of 2017, supported by European Union funding, and the building was completed in December 2018. The House of Science will become the home of two UL faculties and six research institutes: Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Optometry, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Physics, Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformatics, Institute of Cardiology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, UL Institute for Mechanics of Materials and Institute of Astronomy. The House of Science opening event is planned in two parts: the first part will consist of the formal opening ceremony and presentation of the building, while the second part will present an opportunity for visitors to become acquainted with the newly completed building, to look at the new laboratories, study environment and architecture. Excursion participants will be accompanied by a guide who will answer additional questions about the House of Science. The total floor area at the House of Science exceeds 20 thousand square metres, the capacity to ensure study space for up to 2000 students and workplaces for 450 members of scientific and academic staff. The House of Science is constructed according to the principles of smart home operation, ensuring high energy efficiency. Heating, ventilation, cooling and lighting systems are automated and can be programmed separately, thus saving resources. Part of the building's foundation piles are thermopiles – electronic devices that convert thermal energy into electrical energy, and they can be connected to heating and cooling systems for the use of geothermic heat. The total construction and equipment cost of the building, including the purchase of appliances and devices for scientific and study purposes, is EUR 36 million. EUR. Construction of engineering facilities (ventilation, heating, water, sewerage, cooling, power supply, low current, etc.) accounted for the largest share or 33% of the total construction costs. The House of Science project was designed by the architecture bureau "Sestais stils", and the main building contractor – PS “LNK Industries Group”. The UL Academic Centre is the largest project supported by European Fund for Strategic Investments in Latvia. It is the only project in the Baltic states where the Fund's resources are invested in university development. In the framework of this unique and ambitious project, the House of Nature has already been opened in 2015. The House of Science has just been completed, and the next step in the development of the University of Latvia Academic Centre will be the House of Letters to be completed in 2022.