Imagine what would the first 5G university campus look
like. An international benchmark able to reimagine the present and the future
of high education. A sustainable model that will lead the new generation of
education facilities.
Welcome to Loyola University Campus: The first 5G
university campus LEED Platinum in the world.
luis vidal + architects has designed Loyola
University’s flagship in Seville based on five key features: technological,
accessible, sustainable, responsible, and integrated.
The outcome is a project rated LEED Platinum (first in
the world for an integrated campus) and awarded as “Outstanding Innovative
Project” in the Andalucia Inmobiliaria Awards, by unanimous decision of the
jury.
The design begins with a “glocal” approach (think
globally and act in response to local needs and users) that provides community
with the best of both worlds, seeking to give a comprehensive response to the
challenges of the university.
After carrying out an exhaustive study of the
traditional architecture of the area and the region (where Andalusian squares
are especially characteristic) and inspired by the integrated North American
campuses, the resulting design fosters university life while being a beacon in
sustainability.
THREE PILLARS, ONE DESIGN
The project developed by luis vidal + architects,
based on a careful analysis undertaken at multiple levels (functional,
environmental, and programmatic), has become the world´s first 5G campus. This
framework stands on three pillars: the notion of community, the need for
flexibility, and the commitment to sustainability.
COMMUNITY
The structure of the campus responds to the inspiring
principles of the institution, which promotes the education of people insisting
not only on the academic and personal training, but on the spiritual realm.
Precisely, personal and spiritual development are at
the heart of the architectural proposal, symbolically represented on both axes
that run through the campus: on one
hand, along the longitudinal axis different common spaces (admin, cafeteria or
laboratories) are located; on the other, the transversal axis that refers to
human development hosts both the library and the chapel.
The intersection between the two axes generates a huge
square that becomes the heart of the university, its core, the place to meet.
The design of this great square, that shares its
dimensions with large squares placed in Seville and Cordoba, is a
reinterpretation of the traditional Andalusian architecture that conceives
these spaces as a social center for encounter in the cities.
FLEXIBILITY
This campus is conceived as a tailor-made design that
adapts to the University needs. It has the capacity and flexibility to expand,
modify, and extend according to present and future demands.
The first analysis of the project diagnosed the
existence of a difficult site area and program, an aggressive climate, and
complicated phasing conditions. The answer to these challenges is based on a
concentration strategy: a small number of buildings, efficient and optimized
along an axis. The programmatic densification allows to concentrate in a first
phase the whole program of classrooms, laboratories, general services, and
common spaces (cafeteria and auditorium) in one single piece. Thus, resources
are optimized to the maximum.
Besides, due to the building concentration, certain
parts of the site area have been released as a flexible resource for future
occupation. These free zones are located to undertake a longitudinal growth of
the classrooms, if necessary, as well as the relocation of uses.
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is a driving force in luis vidal +
architects.
As a result of this environmental commitment, Loyola
University Campus has been rated PLATINUM in the LEED certification by the U.S.
Green Building Council (USGBC), being the first campus in the world to obtain
this rating level. Thanks to these sustainable actions: Passive energy and
active energy efficiency measures, optimization of facilities and phases,
recycling of water and materials and efficient landscaping.