With the new building "V", Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences is opening a state-of-the-art teaching and research building for the Physiotherapy program, as well as for research, development, and transfer. The new building provides modern teaching, training, and exercise spaces for Physiotherapy and, for the first time, brings together theory, practice, and research under one roof. It also includes additional spaces for the Center for Research, Development, and Transfer.
Flexible space concepts, hybrid media technology, and innovative digital teaching tools open up new possibilities for practice-oriented and interdisciplinary teaching formats. The new building provides the Bachelor’s program in Physiotherapy, in particular, with a modern environment for teaching, training, and research.
At the same time, the university is setting an example for a new approach to university construction in Bavaria: As one of the first universities in the state, TH Rosenheim acted as the project’s developer itself—with remarkable results.
With total construction costs of approximately 7.5 million euros, a sustainable and highly flexible university building featuring a modular hybrid construction design was completed on the Rosenheim campus after three and a half years of planning and construction. Despite high quality and sustainability standards, the project came in just under 20 percent below the standard costs of comparable state-funded university buildings.
Consistent cost management rather than bespoke solutions
This was made possible by consistent cost management, a high degree of prefabrication and a strictly functional planning approach. Rather than opting for bespoke architectural solutions, the project team focused on efficient designs, intensive preliminary planning and the systematic questioning of established standards.
“The building "V" impressively demonstrates that Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences can act as a client very successfully and, above all, cost-consciously,” says Prof. Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Andreas Betz, Professor of Interior Design at TH Rosenheim, as well as the overall project manager, client representative and planner for the project. “It was also about demonstrating that we can deliver sustainable university construction not only to a high standard but also cost-effectively.”
At the start of the project, initial cost estimates stood at between nine and ten million euros. Through consistent optimisation measures, the university’s in-house team succeeded in significantly reducing the costs. From the outset, every planning decision was assessed for its functionality and cost-effectiveness.
Intelligent building structure reduces construction costs
The so-called ‘structural rotation’ of the building played a decisive role in this. Due to difficult ground conditions and high groundwater levels in Rosenheim, a conventional construction method would have incurred significant additional costs. The design team therefore relocated large teaching and activity areas with long spans to the upper floors and more compact office spaces to the lower levels. This made it possible to reduce loads, optimise structural heights and save on costs relating to the foundations and the building’s volume.
The modular construction method also contributed significantly to the project’s efficiency. Prefabricated 2D timber elements with integrated façades, windows and cladding enabled an exceptionally short assembly time: Within just four weeks, the entire timber structure, including the roof, was erected – floor by floor, as in a modular system.
“We planned the building systematically from the inside out, with a focus on its functions,” says Betz. “I am a self-confessed interior designer. People spend 90 per cent of their time indoors – which is why spaces must be functional. The building "V" is a functional building, but at the same time one of high design and functional quality.”
Sustainability through sufficiency and flexible use
The building meets the KfW40 standard and has been awarded Silver certification in accordance with the criteria of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). This was achieved through a consistent focus on sufficiency: wherever possible, the use of concrete was reduced and timber was used as a CO₂-storing building material. Flexible floor plans also allow for the long-term repurposing of the spaces. The design team based their work on the three principles of sustainability: efficiency, consistency and sufficiency – in other words, durable materials, resource-efficient construction and the conscious avoidance of the superfluous.
“Sustainable construction is usually considered to be more expensive. This project shows that intelligent planning and consistent engineering can achieve exactly the opposite,” emphasises Betz.
Highlights from the opening ceremony
Inter-faculty collaboration as a key to success
The project was also made possible by close collaboration between numerous departments within the university. Experts from the Faculties of Applied Natural Sciences and Humanities (particularly from the Energy and Building Technology degree programme) and Wood Technology and Construction contributed their expertise directly to the planning stage. This cross-faculty collaboration not only reduced external costs but also shaped the project’s innovative approach.
Wolfgang Schmidt, Dipl. Ing. (FH), a research assistant at Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences, also played a key role in the planning and implementation as planner and site manager. Together with the university’s internal project team, he co-ordinated the complex construction processes and made a significant contribution to the successful completion of the building.
University President Prof. Heinrich Köster sees the building "V" as a strong signal for the future of university construction: “This project impressively demonstrates the potential that arises when universities take responsibility and pool their own specialist expertise. The building "V" stands for innovative strength, teamwork and the courage to break new ground.”
A model for university construction in Bavaria
Bavaria’s Minister for Science, Markus Blume, also praised the project as groundbreaking at the opening: “Building in record time, saving money without compromising on quality, and doing so sustainably to boot – it sounds almost too good to be true, but in Rosenheim it is a reality. The new building 'V' brings together several success stories under one roof: state-of-the-art facilities for physiotherapy, a strong impetus for research and knowledge transfer, and new benchmarks for cost-effective and sustainable construction. With the building 'V', TH Rosenheim impressively demonstrates how innovative university development can be achieved.”
As part of the opening ceremony, Blume also presented Prof. Andreas Betz with the “PRO MERITIS SCIENTIAE ET LITTERARUM” award from the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts. With this honour, the Ministry recognises his outstanding contributions to science and the arts, as well as his exceptional commitment to bringing the project to fruition.
For Betz himself, however, the focus is ultimately on the collective achievement: “The tinkering and teamwork were incredibly enjoyable. We have all grown together through this project.”