Heatherwick Studio – Universidad Ean, Bogotá, Colombia.
Credit NOD
Heatherwick Studio designs a beautiful new school for a leading university in Bogotá, Colombia
Heatherwick Studio designs a school and makers’ space for Universidad Ean, located on the existing campus in central Bogotá, Colombia. This new facility supports the university’s sustainable design program.
Heatherwick Studio – Universidad Ean, Bogotá, Colombia.
Credit NOD
The seven-story building is located on Calle 72, one of the city’s main roads, with the front façade featuring colorful, carved columns and open terraces. The design honors local craft traditions, including Werregue basketry, a weaving style unique to Colombia’s Wounaan indigenous community.
Eliot Postma, group leader and partner at Heatherwick Studio, said: “Creativity is intrinsic to the city of Bogotá. You see it everywhere. We want students to feel proud of their campus before they even enter the building, arriving through a public square that offers passers-by a welcoming communal oasis amidst the hard urban surroundings.”
Heatherwick Studio – Universidad Ean, Bogotá, Colombia.
Credit NOD
The building will function as a new hub for the campus, enhancing the existing historic structures on the site and offering a rare new public space in the city. The design team is also developing innovative façade materials to address the high levels of sunlight at this altitude and ensure the building’s durability.
Colombia is the world’s second most biodiverse country, and Bogotá is regarded as one of the leading cities for sustainable development. Universidad EAN aims to celebrate this by bringing the cloud forest that surrounds the country’s capital into the building. The studio’s biophilic design will feature local plant species on the open terraces and introduce nature into the city, in line with the city’s commitments as a signatory to the C40 Urban Nature Declaration. This will be the studio’s first construction project in South America.
