The Hague, 28 January 2026 – Deerns is designing a new cleanroom for Eindhoven University of Technology that will enable a safe, flexible, and energy-efficient environment for nanotechnology research.
Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is investing in the renovation of its cleanroom facility on campus. The new cleanroom will replace the current facility, significantly increasing space and flexibility for modern research. The university selected Deerns to design all building and process installations, cleanroom and lab logistics, and safety systems. The Preliminary Design has now been completed, marking an important next step for the project.
" Designing a cleanroom is a complex puzzle: vibrations, electromagnetic fields, safety, and logistics all need to align precisely. Thanks to our specialised knowledge, we can piece this puzzle together early on and arrive at a reliable design.
The new cleanroom offers numerous possibilities for fundamental research in various fields, including nanowires, single-photon emitters, and the fabrication of ultrathin layers using state-of-the-art atomic layer deposition equipment. The building, which houses various research groups, encompasses a total area of 9,175 m², including a 1,200 m² cleanroom.
Deerns is collaborating with the architectural firm Broekbakema on the new cleanroom, Aronsohn on structural engineering, and Peutz on building physics, fire safety, vibration, and acoustics.
Deerns as a partner for cleanroom development
The cleanroom is the heart of Eindhoven University of Technology’s groundbreaking research. Researchers work here at a scale where results can be impacted by a single dust particle, electromagnetic fields, or even minimal vibration. Deerns is designing a research environment precisely tailored to these extremely high demands, optimally facilitating the cleanroom and research processes while simultaneously allowing for future expansion and research innovation.
This requires precision and collaboration between many disciplines. Deerns brings together specialists in cleanroom processes, air handling, electrical engineering, process-critical systems for gases, chemistry and ultrapure water, ICT, fire safety, and security. Thanks to this multidisciplinary team, the required facilities are defined early in the design process, research equipment is integrated safely and logically, and the conditions essential for reliable future research are clearly established.
This is only possible through close collaboration with the research groups, the design partners, and the TU/e project group.
An ultra-clean and safe workspace
The new cleanroom consists of several rooms with different ISO classes (5, 6 and 7). Ultra-clean air, stable pressure regimes, and temperature regulation are crucial for the process. Deerns designed the complete air handling system with HEPA filtration and positive pressure concepts to create a clean and safe working environment.
In addition, gas detection, clear escape routes, and process-related safety features ensure that researchers and students can work safely, even when chemicals or toxic gases are used.
All-electric and energy-efficient
The new cleanroom building will be fully electric. Heating and cooling are provided by heat pumps together with an Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system, while heat recovery captures a large share of the energy from the ventilation air. Through heat exchangers, energy from the extracted cleanroom air is reused, ensuring that valuable heat and cooling are not lost. Deerns will optimise all airflows – intake, exhaust and recirculation – to achieve maximum performance with minimal air consumption, without compromising air quality or safety. This directly supports the university’s sustainability goals while reducing operational costs.
In addition, the building makes use of biobased materials, including wood, without compromising the strict technical requirements of the cleanroom environment.
A comfortable and transparent working environment
A cleanroom is a strictly regulated environment, yet its design places clear emphasis on user wellbeing. Glass panels draw daylight deep into the building, improving visibility and providing clear sightlines, while allowing visitors to observe processes from outside. Together with a stable indoor temperature of 21°C and carefully designed ergonomic lighting, this results in a comfortable and pleasant working environment. Deerns engineered both the material choices and the technical systems required to maintain these conditions with precision and reliability.
A boost for the future of nanotechnology
The new cleanroom is scheduled for completion in 2028. Through this investment, Eindhoven University of Technology is creating a facility designed to support groundbreaking nanotechnological research for decades to come.
Drawing on a unique combination of cleanroom and installation expertise, Deerns is integrating all technical and functional requirements into a single, coherent design. The result is a cleanroom that is not only safe, reliable and fully functional, but also highly flexible – able to adapt to the evolving demands of cutting-edge research. The result is a facility that looks beyond today’s needs and gives the university the space to continue innovating well into the future.
