MVRDV Breaks Ground on Innovation Park AI Campus in Germany

Construction is now underway on the Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) in Heilbronn, Germany, designed by the Dutch architecture studio MVRDV. Spanning 30 hectares, the campus will host more than 5,000 researchers and students, supporting the development of responsible AI technologies. MVRDV’s masterplan emphasizes a circular layout that organizes laboratories, housing, cultural facilities, and public spaces around two offset axes, fostering cohesion while maintaining openness to the surrounding landscape.

At the core of the campus is a central plaza anchored by the communication centre and a restaurant. The communication centre features a reflective facade, serving as a visual and functional hub with exhibition and seminar spaces. Nearby, the living lab incorporates panoramic glazing, offering transparency and inviting public engagement with ongoing research. The ten-story office building employs a pleated facade integrated with photovoltaics, allowing natural light to permeate the interiors while providing energy efficiency and dynamic plays of light across its surface.

Sustainability is a guiding principle throughout the campus. Several buildings, including the start-up and innovation centre, the living lab, and the office building, utilize hybrid timber construction, reducing the embodied carbon footprint while maintaining structural and spatial ambition. MVRDV’s CarbonSpace tool guided material selection, ensuring that facade and construction choices are environmentally responsible without compromising design quality.

Each building maintains a distinct identity: the start-up centre features a bright red volume with a central green courtyard, while the restaurant is defined by sheltered terraces carved from its cream-colored facade. Pedestrian pathways, sports areas, and open green spaces encourage outdoor activity and wellbeing, balancing technology-driven work with human-scale environments.

The IPAI campus demonstrates how thoughtful planning, innovative facade design, and sustainable construction techniques can combine to create a cutting-edge research environment that prioritizes both performance and people.