Lucerne: Horw campus faces major investment

The government council is seeking a joint solution for the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Engineering & Architecture and the Lucerne University of Teacher Education on the Horw campus. The years 2020 to 2026 are specified as the realization period. The realization is to take place in stages, but without costly provisional solutions. With the campus solution, the canton of Lucerne has the opportunity to optimally bring various needs under one roof from an educational, economic and also financial policy point of view, it was said last week at a media conference of those responsible.

Space problems, rising student numbers and urgently needed renovations would force the canton to take action at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Technology & Architecture at its current location in Horw, said Lucerne's education director Reto Wyss. The building, which was constructed in 1977, has never been renovated before. According to the director of education, the renovation and expansion, or rather the expansion of capacity as an education and research campus, can no longer be postponed.

Horw campus to include innovation park

The Horw campus covers a site area of around 67,500 square meters, of which just under half is undeveloped. Cantonal architect Hans-Urs Baumann envisages a construction phase in three phases. An area of around 20,000 sqm remains on the site for companies, startups and national and international research teams, added government councilor Robert Küng. These are to network as far as possible with the teaching and research activities of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Engineering & Architecture, for example in the subject area of building technology, but also in the other teaching and research areas. The Lucerne government council therefore also actively supports the Central Switzerland initiative to establish an innovation park networked with the Zurich/Dübendorf site. According to Küng, the Horw campus fulfills all location criteria for the establishment of the innovation park.

The financing of the project is to be ensured by a cantonal real estate company, which, in addition to financing the buildings, will primarily be responsible for their management. This outsourcing has the advantage that Immobilien AG acts professionally in the area of buildings and reacts more quickly to changes, as Finance Director Marcel Schwerzmann explained. All premises on the site would be centrally managed by Immobilien AG and thus allocated to the changing needs of the various schools. This would increase utilization and avoid vacancies. "Immobilien AG appears on the capital market and tries to raise the necessary funds at the most favorable conditions possible," Schwerzmann said.

People will probably be asked in 2018

The Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the Lucerne University of Teacher Education and other users would become tenants of Immobilien AG, the statement continues. In addition, further settlements can be realized efficiently. However, by outsourcing to a real estate company, the canton will remain 100 percent owner and guarantor. Before the first construction phase can be tackled, the people will be able to vote on the Horw campus at the ballot box - probably in 2018.