Faculty of Humanities Building – Industrial University of Santander by taller de arquitectura de bogotá

The Faculty of Humanities Building, designed by taller de arquitectura de bogotá, occupies a strategic position at the main entrance of the central campus of the Industrial University of Santander. Conceived as a key piece within the university’s broader master plan, the building performs a dual role: it operates as a symbolic gateway welcoming students and visitors, while also providing a flexible and climate-responsive framework for academic growth. Through its expressive use of architectural concrete, layered spatial organization, and strong relationship with public space, the project articulates a contemporary vision for educational architecture in a tropical context.

A Landmark Defined by Layered Concrete Geometry

From a distance, the building is immediately recognizable by its composition of stacked horizontal concrete lines. These stratified slabs form a clear and legible architectural identity, establishing the Humanities Building as an institutional marker at the campus entrance. Rather than relying on formal monumentality, the design achieves presence through rhythm, proportion, and material consistency.

The use of ochre-pigmented concrete gives the structure a warm, earthy tone that resonates with the regional landscape and recalls traditional earthen construction. This choice roots the building within its geographical and cultural context, while the precision of its geometry signals its contemporary character.

Responding to Topography with Public Space

One of the project’s most distinctive strategies is its response to the site’s natural slope. Instead of leveling the terrain, the architects embraced it by creating a double base that results in two ground-level access points. These dual “first floors” function as extensions of the campus public realm, blurring the boundary between building and landscape.

The lower level is shaped as an artificial topography, with dune-like forms that accommodate the observatory’s visitor center. This space invites exploration and informal use, transforming circulation into an experiential journey. Above, the second access level is defined by offset slabs that form balconies, overhangs, and gathering zones. Both layers are connected by a generous staircase with suspended platforms, encouraging movement, social interaction, and visual continuity across levels.

The Tower as Climate Filter and Learning Structure

Rising from this active base, the main tower is oriented along a north–south axis, a deliberate decision that enhances environmental performance. Its staggered longitudinal slabs of ochre concrete act as passive solar filters, reducing direct sunlight while framing long views toward the surrounding landscape.

The slabs are paired with deep eaves and perimeter walkways, which extend usable learning spaces beyond enclosed classrooms. These circulation zones double as shaded outdoor areas, supporting informal study, rest, and chance encounters. In certain areas, the slabs fold vertically, increasing their effectiveness as sun-shading devices and reinforcing the building’s adaptability to tropical climatic conditions.

Circulation as Experience and Connection

Beyond conventional vertical circulation cores, the building introduces open staircases and recreational routes that promote pedestrian movement and interaction. These elements are not merely functional; they are spatial devices that strengthen visual connections between interior spaces, the campus, and the broader landscape.

By encouraging walking and visual permeability, the design fosters a more active academic environment. Circulation becomes a learning experience in itself—one that supports exchange, observation, and engagement across disciplines.

A Program Organized from Public to Private

The internal program is arranged vertically in a gradual sequence that reflects varying degrees of openness and concentration. At the base of the building are highly social functions, including the cafeteria and spaces for student associations, reinforcing the role of the lower levels as communal infrastructure.

The middle floors house classrooms and smaller academic booths, providing flexible settings for teaching and discussion. Toward the upper levels, the atmosphere becomes calmer and more introspective, accommodating wellness spaces and faculty offices. This vertical zoning allows the building to balance intensity and quietness while responding to diverse academic needs.

Structural Clarity and Future Flexibility

Structurally, the building is anchored by two rigid concrete cores positioned at either end of the tower. This strategy frees the central floor plates from heavy structural constraints, resulting in open and adaptable layouts. Such flexibility is essential for an academic building expected to evolve over time, as pedagogical models and spatial requirements change.

The contrast between the ochre-pigmented concrete of the main slabs and the gray concrete used in the cores and columns adds depth and legibility to the structure, subtly expressing how the building stands and functions.

Architecture Rooted in Context and Projection

The Faculty of Humanities Building is more than an academic facility—it is a spatial manifesto for how universities can engage climate, terrain, and community simultaneously. By merging robust materiality with openness, public space, and adaptability, the project offers an architecture that is both grounded in place and oriented toward the future.

As a gateway to the Industrial University of Santander, the building does not simply announce arrival; it invites participation, reflection, and exchange, embodying the civic and cultural role of the humanities within the academic landscape.

Photography: Alejandro Arango