For the past few years, work has been underway to develop the operational facilities in the Western Node. The aim of the project is to create opportunities to bring SLU's operations in Alnarp closer together and to enable better exchange and collaboration in research and education. Feasibility studies and planning work are ongoing, with the actual renovation and expansion work scheduled to take place between 2026 and 2028.
On this web page:
A key objective is to create functional and representative facilities with a healthy and attractive working and study environment in the Western Node.
In addition to bringing operations closer together, the project aims to increase space efficiency, enhance shared use of laboratory areas, and contribute to other synergies by facilitating mobility, communication, and interdisciplinary collaboration within the complex and other nodes on campus.
The outdoor environment will be well integrated with the facilities, supporting activities in the Western Node by providing spaces and areas for lunch, meetings, study places, and more.
Sustainability is a central focus throughout the project's implementation.
The Western node encompasses the buildings Vegetum, Horticum, Articum, Navet, and Biotronen. Both the renovation of existing spaces and the addition of new facilities are planned here.
In the renovated and extended Western hub, the following institutions will be located:
From November 2024 to May 2025, work is being carried out to develop a workplace strategy and laboratory assessment for the Western Node. The strategy is a long-term plan describing how workplaces should be designed, organised, and managed to support operational goals and employee needs.
The strategy work is led by an external consultant, WeOffice, which will deliver a detailed report outlining how future workplaces can be designed, including concrete proposals for solutions. This material will serve as a basis for decisions regarding the future design of our facilities.
Employee and managerial participation is central to the strategy development.
The work is divided into two parts:
All employees affected by the project will be invited to workshops and surveys to share their needs, experiences, and ideas.
After the planned renovation, five departments will share facilities in the Western Node. A workplace strategy ensures that the premises work well for everyone and are used efficiently.
Overall aim: To create a working environment that facilitates collaboration and productivity while keeping premises costs down.
The purpose of the renovation, and a possible extension, is to:
Short term: The strategy will guide the design of premises that support operations and enable effective use.
Long term: It will create a flexible and sustainable structure, making it easier to adapt the premises to future changes.
A workplace strategy is based on data and insights from staff, and includes:
This approach to developing a workplace strategy is research-based and aims to create a long-term sustainable solution.
Previous workshops provided a good foundation, but several factors meant we needed to gather more data:
The development project concerning premises will continue in Alnarp over the coming years. At present, there is no systematic method at SLU for designing and sizing premises based on operational needs.
The model being developed in Alnarp will serve as a blueprint for how SLU as a whole can take a strategic and sustainable approach to premises use – without compromising on good work and study environments.
No decisions have been made yet about what the workplace will look like – this will be based on the data and insights we collect now. That’s why your input is essential to ensure the future premises support our work in the best possible way.
SLU’s workplace strategy differs from Linnaeus University’s project in several key ways:
The strategy work is a way for us to learn from the experiences and mistakes of others and to create a well-functioning, sustainable solution tailored to our organisation.
The goal is to create a workplace that:
Working from home should be a complement – not a necessity in order to work undisturbed.
The workplace strategy is based on employee input gathered through the workshops held in spring 2025 and the associated survey. These provide important data for well-balanced decisions.
The results from workshops and surveys are weighed together with other factors such as occupancy rates, sustainability, financial constraints and the premises’ physical conditions.
The aim is to create facilities that – as far as possible – support everyone’s needs.
The process in brief:
1. Initial meeting with the client
2. Vision workshop with the management team or project steering group
3. Information meeting for operational managers
4. Focus group interviews with department heads and possibly other managers from affected institutions
5. Workshop "My Day at Work" with employees
6. Distribution of the Workplace Adequacy Survey to map operational needs, collaboration patterns, hybrid working methods, mobility profiles, and work patterns
7. Ongoing dialogue with representatives from the organisation
8. Presentation of a draft workplace strategy to the client
9. At the end of the assignment, an oral presentation and a final report will be delivered
Read more about WeOffice on their website.
The project is governed and managed by various groups, including internal SLU teams as well as teams consisting of participants from both SLU and Akademiska Hus.
Information about the groups and participants (in swedish)
An early-stage feasibility study was conducted in 2023. This study included proposals on how to design the interface between the Western Node and the new railway stop, how Vegetum could be updated to establish stronger connections with other buildings, and the size and location of a potential new building. The proposal was then circulated for consultation within the organisation.
The feasibility study aims to establish a more detailed vision and objectives, identify project prerequisites, and include an overall analysis of project feasibility, as well as technical building conditions and risks. The feasibility study is ongoing from autumn 2024 into early 2025.
After the detailed feasibility study, decisions will be made on programme work, pre-project planning, and implementation.
At each stage, the project will become more clearly defined in scope, with cost estimates prepared as a basis for rental and investment costs and future decisions.
More information about the campus development in Alnarp you will find on this page at the staff web.