Bogotá, Colombia
The new UNIANDINOS Headquarter is the representation of the growth of the Universidad de los Andes Alumni Organization over the past years; its success is represented in the ambition and desires of program needs and architectural vision. JGMA’s design approach takes into consideration every of these requirements and together with the understanding of contextual conditions and limitations as an opportunity we make design decisions that first and foremost respond to the user needs and urban characteristics, when all combined and looked at as an object makes for a cohesive and holistic architectural composition.
What we find unique about the site and found inspiration on, is the surprisingly pedestrian friendly of the surroundings, which became a crucial aspect of design process. The design is determined by the strong influence of such condition, which carves the base of the building inviting the public and allowing the continuation of the plaza space. Such continuation was carried out throughout the building, generating a continuous space connecting the main program elements of the design. The choice of soft warm color wooden surfaces for such space was determined based on the materials found in close proximity to the site; such strong element of the design is an extension of the material found in the neighborhood, making people rather comfortable when inhabiting the space. To contrast with such element, the design proposes a dark glass treatment with a frit pattern that breaks down the scale of the façade surfaces while reinforcing the importance of public space throughout the building. Rather than proposing a conventional typical building, our team has taken the liberty of exploring new ways of inhabiting a building of such characteristics, it is in our design philosophy that the architectural composition should be the result of taking the unique conditions of its context and implement them as a crucial part of the process.
AWARDS + RECOGNITION
