The renovation of room B51, which has been underway since December 2021, is now sufficiently advanced for the room to be used for teaching. The project was funded from Uppsala University’s climate pot, the aim of which is to address several aspects of the University’s climate impact. This includes performing calculations and documenting energy consumption and efficiency in combination with a lifecycle analysis. In the near future, energy consumption for heating, electricity and ventilation will be displayed in real time on a monitor in the lecture hall.

Upcycling and reuse have been used throughout the renovation; for example, chair frames have been welded into new benches and seat cushions have been reused for the new risers, which are themselves constructed from recycled pallets and clad with the worktops from the old classroom.  All other furnishings are reused from local sources on Gotland.

For active learning

B51 is now also an active learning classroom with a distinct student focus. It is ideal for collaborative forms of learning, with round tables in the centre, benches along the sides, as well as the seating risers. The lecture hall does not have a front or back, so lectures can be given from the desired direction. The fixed furniture in B51 accommodates 90 people, but it can be furnished with up to 120 places, please let Lokalbokningen know if that will be the case.

Consumption shown in real time

The project tackles more aspects of sustainability. For example, calculations and documentation of energy consumption and energy efficiency will be carried out together with life cycle analyses. A monitor in the hall will eventually show the consumption of heat, electricity and ventilation in real time.

Once the renovation is complete, the lecture hall will go by the name B51 Äutsikten, which means prospect, hope or opportunity in the local Gotland dialect.