Lokaloptimeringsprojektet

During summer 2025, the Department of Media Studies was co-located on campus and moved into premises at Albano.

Södra huset has long been in urgent need of renovation. The property owner has previously announced that renovation works will be carried out, with a planned start in summer 2027. The renovation will be implemented in phases, one building at a time, starting with Building F. The renovation means that activities will need to move to temporary premises during the construction period.

In the feasibility study developed and approved for the Local Optimisation Project, the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV) was to move to Frescati, Building F, in connection with the renovation works. The department is the university’s largest and would, through the move, bring 5,000 additional students and around 300 staff members to Frescati. In order to accommodate the department, optimisation and adaptation of the premises in Södra huset is necessary.

During 2025, the project carried out a feasibility study together with the property owner Akademiska Hus to implement the optimisations and adaptations required in parallel with the renovation works planned by the property owner. The outcome of the study, and the cost estimate presented by Akademiska Hus at the end of February 2026, showed that the cost significantly exceeded the university’s own budget. The steering committee for the Local Optimisation Project therefore decided not to proceed with the relocation of DSV to Building F, the first building scheduled for renovation.

The ambition remains to co-locate the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences at Frescati or in its immediate vicinity, in accordance with the decision taken by the Vice-Chancellor and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for the Human Science area in 2021 (Policy decision: Relocation of the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences to the Frescati area, Ref. SU FV 1.2.1-4758-20).

The decision not to proceed with premises adaptations for DSV’s relocation to Building F means that planning for Södra huset needs to be revised. The project is now exploring alternative options for local optimisation, while an investigation is also underway to determine when and where it is most appropriate to co-locate DSV.

The project has also begun planning for the relocation of activities to temporary evacuation premises, which will be located in Kräftriket.

In 2026, the project is developing a revised proposal for a more integrated placement of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, the Department of Chemistry, and the Chemistry Section, in order to enable the relocation of the Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies. The departments will be brought together in Buildings A–C and K–M, which will achieve improved functional connections and flows, as well as more efficient use of space and the buildings’ technical capacities. However, relocation requires deeper analysis and investment, as specialised laboratory spaces must be created. Analytical work is currently ongoing.

An investigation is also underway to assess the feasibility of relocating the Department of Linguistics to Arrhenius, where part of its activities (SUBIC) are already located. This would enable further optimisation of premises in Södra huset.

The relocation of the IT Department and the Property Management Department to Allhuset Lantis is central to enabling the release of other spaces and creating favourable conditions for the optimisation of Södra huset. Extensive renovation and refurbishment of Rotundan and the public areas in Allhuset Lantis are also planned, in order to create an attractive central meeting place for students. The redevelopment of Allhuset Lantis is underway, and occupancy is preliminarily planned for Q4 2027.

Allhuset Lantis is now closed for renovation, with the exception of the Lantis restaurant, service facilities, and the staff gym.