Workstations, lounge corner, cinema, checkroom, exhibition area and kitchenette - all on ten square meters. The new mobile sustainability office at Fachhochschule Dortmund is a space miracle. The construction trailer called "Soffi", an abbreviation for Sustainability Office, is the bachelor's thesis of design student Marie Gowert. From now on, the office with a trailer hitch will be located at various locations on campus and in the city.
Sebastian Kreimer has made himself comfortable at one of the folding tables in the trailer. "Soffi" is to become his new professional home. He is head of the sustainability office at Fachhochschule Dortmund and says: "We want to use it to get into even more conversation with our students about sustainability issues." The plan seems to be working. At Max-Ophüls-Platz, the first location of the construction trailer, "Soffi" has quickly become a meeting place. The deckchairs that stand invitingly in front of it in the sun also contribute to this.
There is hardly an easier way to make contact than in this relaxed atmosphere. "Sustainability issues are close to the students' hearts, as we know from surveys, for example as part of the UAS's public value assessment," says Sebastian Kreimer. The focus is on different facets to varying degrees. It's about food and energy, mobility, but also about campus design and teaching. Marie Gowert also interviewed students for the theoretical part of her Bachelor's thesis. The results are the same. "At the same time, too little is known about sustainability issues at the UAS," says the design student.
Meeting place for sustainability
With "Soffi", things should get better. Because there are offers: Workshops, workshops, topics for Bachelor's and Master's theses or the sustainability lecture series, which offers an interdisciplinary insight into the ecological aspects of other subject areas. The students also receive the credit points that are so important for their degree. "We can communicate all of these topics in a much more concrete way vis-à-vis our students," says Sebastian Kreimer. To this end, he sets up his mobile office alternately at one of the UAS locations spread throughout the city. The construction trailer will also be present at city festivals such as "Dortbunt" or the "Juicy Beats" festival with various activities and themes.
"The wide range of possible uses was a challenge when designing the interior," reports Marie Gowert, who studies object and interior design at the UAS. "The wish list from the sustainability office was long - and space was limited." Her solution: only a few pieces of furniture in the construction trailer are static. Almost everything can be folded, moved, altered and rearranged. Marie Gowert uses the French Cleat system for this. The simple yet stable wedge system allows for flexibility. Wooden struts on the walls allow work surfaces, shelves and coat hooks to be rearranged as required. The combination of wood and dark green tones on the wall create a forest feel inside the new FH construction van. All pieces of furniture were handmade by Marie Gowert. She was responsible not only for the concept and design, but also for the actual construction. Sebastian Kreimer is delighted: "Soffi" has become a real eye-catcher.