POSTGRADUATE BUILDING

DESIGN CONCEPT

The Postgraduate Building in Cancún is conceived as a compact, iconic volume that projects the institutional identity of an advanced education center. Its pure prismatic form is subtly twisted and enveloped by a continuous skin, emphasizing horizontality and dynamism. A bold red gesture cuts diagonally across the façade, functioning simultaneously as a wayfinding element and as a graphic representation of academic progression and growth. The building is raised above ground level, providing a permeable base that visually lightens the mass and creates an urban porch that welcomes students and visitors.

The concept seeks to reconcile the clarity and efficiency of a commercial building with the symbolic presence required by a postgraduate institution. The resulting architecture is recognizable from a distance, acting as an urban landmark along the vehicular corridors of Cancún while maintaining a human-scale interface at the entrance level.

URBAN INTEGRATION AND PROGRAM

The project is organized as a three- to four-level volume occupying a compact footprint, responding to the limited plot size and the surrounding vehicular context. The elevated main body allows for shaded parking and drop-off areas underneath, improving circulation on site and freeing the ground plane for landscaping and pedestrian flows. A frontal stair and ramp system, clearly highlighted within the red frame, guide users to the main lobby level, establishing an intuitive arrival sequence.

Inside, the plan is arranged along a central circulation spine, with teaching spaces, seminar rooms and support offices positioned along the façades to maximize natural light. Public and semi-public functions are oriented to the front, engaging with the street, while more private academic and administrative areas are placed towards the quieter sides. The compact plan reduces internal travel distances and allows for flexible reconfiguration of classrooms over time.

FAÇADE LANGUAGE AND MATERIALITY

The architectural expression is dominated by a double façade composed of horizontal louvers, behind which a glazed curtain wall defines the climatic envelope. This layered system governs the building’s image by day, with soft, filtered reflections, and by night, when the interior illumination converts the volume into a luminous lantern. The louvers create a continuous, almost ethereal skin that visually unifies the different elevations and conceals structural elements.

The red structural-cladding band is introduced as a deliberate contrast to the neutral palette of whites and light metallic tones. It underlines circulation paths, frames the main entrance, and traces a diagonal movement that reinforces the dynamic academic character of the institution. The base structure and circulation cores are expressed in exposed concrete and steel, chosen for durability in the coastal environment and to minimize maintenance.

LIGHT, INTERIOR ATMOSPHERE AND COLOR

Natural light is the primary organizer of interior spaces. The horizontal louvers modulate solar incidence, producing evenly lit classrooms that avoid glare, which is crucial for digital projections and prolonged study sessions. Behind the screened façade, transparent and translucent glass panels are combined to balance outward views with privacy, depending on the function of each space.

The interior color strategy is derived from the façade: predominantly neutral surfaces in white and light gray serve as a calm background for learning activities, while controlled accents of red appear in handrails, signage and furniture pieces to reinforce orientation and institutional identity. At night, warm artificial lighting activates the façade and undercroft, ensuring visual comfort and security without excessive energy consumption.

STRUCTURE, CLIMATE RESPONSE AND SUSTAINABILITY

The building employs a regular structural grid in reinforced concrete, optimized for open-plan academic floors that can evolve with changing pedagogical needs. The elevated volume not only creates sheltered parking but also promotes cross-ventilation at ground level, reducing heat accumulation around the building. The compact massing minimizes exposed envelope area relative to usable floor space, supporting energy-efficient operation.

Given Cancún’s tropical climate, the environmental strategy centers on passive measures. The ventilated double skin of louvers acts as a solar filter, reducing direct heat gain while allowing daylight penetration, which lowers dependence on artificial lighting. The orientation of the main façades and the depth of overhangs are calibrated to protect from intense sun and rain. Landscape areas around and beneath the building incorporate native and low-maintenance vegetation, improving microclimate and stormwater absorption. Provision is made for high-efficiency HVAC systems, low-consumption lighting, and the future integration of rooftop photovoltaic panels, aligning the project with contemporary sustainable campus standards.