The Innovation House was commissioned by the University of San Andres to accommodate their new degree programs, including Behavioral Sciences and Engineering. As the University will be the first in the country to offer these programs, the main premise was to design a building that would express its leadership in innovation and technology, having a strong sustainable imprint. 

 

Located in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, on a 70,000m2 campus near the Delta River, the site is surrounded by vegetation. The strong presence of nature in the area echoes through the project, with its planted terraces and reflecting pond by the access.

 

A ramped planted roof emerges from the campus´ main pedestrian circulation, offering a second access and inviting students into the building in a fluid and ludic way.

 

Being a pedagogical institution, it was essential to solve programmatically two aspects which complement each other: the strictly academic and the social, more informal facet, which occurs outside the classrooms. For the strictly academic, a series of specific technical and spatial requirements had to be fulfilled in classrooms, labs and workshops. On the other hand, the common areas create ideal conditions for collaboration and networking to happen between students of different careers, professors and researchers, making the learning experience richer and expansive.

 

Flexibility was also a priority. The atrium on the ground floor serves as a multipurpose common area on daily basis, which can be transformed into an auditorium with a seating capacity of over 700 people for lectures and special events.

 

Exposed concrete and wood were the main chosen materials, due to their long durability and low maintenance.