Aleida Nijland building (previously Matthias de Vrieshof, preparation phase)

The renovation of the Aleida Nijland building (previously Matthias de Vrieshof) is the fourth project in the development of the Humanities Campus. Renovating these buildings will enable the university to provide a sustainable Campus with modern facilities and an attractive educational environment that encourages interaction and where students and staff enjoy spending time.

Blueprint

The Aleida Nijland location is currently made up of four buildings. The aim is to transform these into one cohesive, demonstrably sustainable and upgraded building. After the redevelopment, the building will be accessible for students, staff and visitors via a single public entrance. The new Aleida Nijland will be an educational building equipped with modern facilities for research and teaching, featuring a more transparent design on the lower floors to integrate with its surroundings. The building will include an underground bicycle storage area with space for 550 bicycles, while the existing car parking spaces will be retained.

Sustainability

Our ambition is to achieve BREEAM Excellent classification for the Aleida Nijland project. Priority will be given to the sustainability ambitions from the Urban Development Plan. This includes the following objectives:

Disconnecting the rainwater drainage system and discharging it to the canal and/or storing it for later use.
The greening of the area around the buildings, as well as the buildings themselves.
Enhancing the quality of the living environment and increasing biodiversity.
Principles relating to energy: connecting to the thermal storage system (WKO for the Humanities Campus area) and installing solar panels where possible.
Principles for circular material use: maintaining the structure/foundations and reusing materials from demolition work in the local area.

The goal is to make the project energy neutral, aiming to achieve climate neutrality, aligning as closely as possible with the targets set in the climate agreement. Where realistically feasible, the Aleida Nijland will incorporate a 40% reduction in water usage (compared to 2020), 30% more greenery (focusing on the roof and surrounding area), and 50% circular (reused) materials. As a result, the building will be future-proof for the next 25 years.

Planning

The current planning:

Design phase: 2025 up to spring 2026
Tendering phase: spring 2026
Demolition: autumn 2026
Construction: 2027 up to autumn 2028
Occupation end 2028

The departments that will be located there

Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL, HUM)
General lecture rooms (OW, HUM)
Centre for the Arts in Society (LUCAS, HUM)
Academic Language Centre (ATC, HUM)
The Linguistic Lab and the Humanities Hub (Lab, HUM)
The Institute for the Dutch Language (INT, knowledge partner)
Education and Student Affairs (SOZ, HUM
University Services Department (UFB)