The newly designed 312,000-sf Loyola University Campus in Seville, Spain has become the world’s first integrated campus to receive LEED Platinum, the highest environmental rating by the U.S. Green Building Council. The multipurpose facility, which also aims to be the first ‘5G Campus’ in the world, was designed to accommodate numerous aspects of learning and university life.
The $29 million project places all of the classrooms, laboratories, and common spaces (including the cafeteria and auditorium), which totals 265,000-sf, in a single, optimized building. The sports building, library, lockers, access building, and chapel, which totals over 47,000-sf of additional space, complete the complex.
Given Seville’s Mediterranean climate, where high temperatures are often the norm, special attention was paid to controlling sunlight. “The project makes use of the lessons learned in T2 at Heathrow Airport in the U.K., and incorporates textile technology – the design of an external element, ‘the candle,’ which controls the light that penetrates the buildings,” said Luis Vidal, President and Founding Partner at luis vidal + architects, in a release. “The campus also consists of a sequence of open and closed spaces, designed to provide self-shading.”
See also: Students aren’t the only ones who have returned to Austin College in Texas
Winter/summer plazas change with the seasons to provide comfortable outdoor space for students. During summer these plazas benefit from the sun shading of the buildings, generating spaces sheltered from the Western sunlight. In addition, the presence of water cools down the temperature and creates a microclimate of a certain comfort. During winter plazas heat up with sunlight, in its lowest angles of incidence and, they are protected from the prevailing winds.
The campus’ roof, facades, and windows were designed to minimize sizable energy losses. Photovoltaic panels were also installed to reduce the net-energy consumption of the building. A water recovery system was also incorporated. More than 20% of the building materials come from previous uses, and more than 30% of the materials were locally extracted from the surrounding area.
Project construction was wrapped in 17 months.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Feb 17, 2016
New ideas to help universities attract and empower STEM students
Educational institutions are focusing on new learning strategies that engage students in activities, enable collaboration across STEM disciplines, and encourage students to use their hands just as much as their heads, as Stephen Blair of CannonDesign writes.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 1, 2016
Top 10 kitchen design trends for 2016
Charging stations, built-in coffeemakers, and pet stations—these are among the top kitchen design trends for the coming year, according to a new survey of kitchen and bath designers by the National Kitchen & Bath Association.
| Jan 14, 2016
How to succeed with EIFS: exterior insulation and finish systems
This AIA CES Discovery course discusses the six elements of an EIFS wall assembly; common EIFS failures and how to prevent them; and EIFS and sustainability.
Greenbuild Report | Dec 10, 2015
AASHE’s STARS tool highlights the university sector’s holistic approach to sustainability
Buzzwords like “living lab” and “experiential learning” are indicative of the trend toward more holistic sustainability programs that incorporate all facets of college life.
University Buildings | Nov 5, 2015
How active design is reshaping higher education campuses
Active design, a dynamic approach to design with a primary focus on people, assists students in learning to make healthy choices, writes LPA's Glenn Carels.
University Buildings | Nov 4, 2015
Yale completes Singapore campus
The Yale-NUS College has three residence halls and two administrative and academic buildings, with courtyards in the middle of them all.
University Buildings | Oct 16, 2015
5 ways architecture defines the university brand
People gravitate to brands for many reasons. Campus architecture and landscape are fundamental influences on the college brand, writes Perkins+Will's David Damon.
University Buildings | Oct 16, 2015
Competency-based learning: A glimpse into the future of higher education?
For better or worse, the higher education experience for many young Millennials and Gen Zers will not resemble the four-year, life-altering experience that we enjoyed—it’s just too costly.
University Buildings | Sep 21, 2015
Vietnamese university to turn campus into ‘terraced forest’
Pockets of plantings will be dispersed throughout the staggered floors of the building, framing the expansive courtyard at its center.
University Buildings | Sep 21, 2015
6 lessons in campus planning
For campus planning, focus typically falls on repairing the bricks and mortar without consideration of program priorities. Gensler's Pamela Delphenich offers helpful tips and advice.