German architecture studio Behles & Jochimsen has completed the Kreativinstitut OWL, a shared university facility for science, business, and music in Detmold. The building was designed to be “as flexible as possible” with easily divisible and convertible timber-framed spaces flanked by two concrete cores.
The facility serves three institutions: the OWL University of Applied Sciences, Detmold University of Music, and Paderborn University. Behles & Jochimsen aimed to create a space for creative exchange, with a design that allows for easy adaptation to future requirements and prioritizes sustainability.
The building features pre-greyed timber planks on its facade, with vertically laid strips in alternating directions and separated by narrow metal bands. Two concrete cores, expressed externally with curved edges, bookend the building and contain circulation and meeting rooms.
The interior design includes composite timber-concrete floor plates with a grid of installation ducts, allowing access to electrical points from almost any location. The ground floor features an open area for informal exchanges, while the upper floors house offices, laboratories, and studios.
