HSG plans temporary building

4 October 2012. “This new building for teaching will provide temporary relief of our crowded conditions and contribute to the quality of education HSG offers. But while I am glad we can relieve the lack of space a bit in the short term, this facility cannot replace the needed extension of the campus”, said administrative director Markus Brönnimann.

2.2 m2 per student
HSG serves 7300 students on a campus that was designed for a maximum of 5000 to 5500. The teaching and studying space per student is 2.2 m2, which is very low compared to other universities and colleges.

The university must expand to meet expected enrollment of 8000 to 9000 students by 2020. Campus-extension projects are being planned, as agreed upon with the city of St. Gallen Department of Education and under the direction of the Buildings Department. In the meantime, HSG must meet the space requirements for teaching with temporary facilities and by renting space.

Considering the neighborhood
The University Council has approved the new building, and a planning application has been submitted to the building permits office at the city of St.Gallen. The three-story temporary facility will provide space for 10 larger classrooms and 12 breakout rooms, or 550 to 600 seats. The facility measures 32.6m x 25.2m x 10.8m.

Construction is scheduled to start in spring 2013 and will be completed by the fall term of 2013. The university budget will cover the facility rental costs. Thus, a promise to HSG students can be kept: additional income from tuition increases will benefit students directly, in this case via investments in infrastructure. The temporary building is expected to be in use for 10 years, until the planned extension of the campus is completed. After that, it will be removed.

HSG studied various locations for the temporary classroom building. The selected site above the underground car park on Dufourstrasse 48 is close to campus, which allows students to easily meet the 15-minute intervals between classes. In addition, the impact on the neighborhood will be minimized. The project was explained to neighborhood residents first-hand during an information event.