Located at the main entrance of the central campus of the Universidad Industrial de Santander in Bucaramanga, and following the guidelines of the existing master plan, the Humanities Building is composed of a series of architectural concrete linear elements. This configuration not only establishes an emblematic gateway image for the university but also provides space for the faculty’s future expansion.
On the ground level, the design duplicates the base plane through a subtle operation that takes advantage of the site’s natural slope, creating two “first floors” as direct extensions of the public space. These areas are open, playful, and community-oriented. The lower level becomes an artificial topography of continuous planes and dunes that house the visitor center for the astronomical observatory. These dunes also serve as informal recreational mounds for students. The second level features offset slabs that create aerial balconies, encouraging informal activities. A stepped seating staircase with hanging platforms integrates the two levels, facilitating circulation and access.
Because the building is oriented north–south, the tower is composed of longitudinal slabs of ochre architectural concrete, variably offset to protect interior areas from direct solar exposure. This strategy includes overhangs and perimeter circulation that expand learning environments while providing solar protection, allowing for generous windows with long-range views. To maximize performance in the tropics, where solar intensity is constant, some horizontal slabs fold into vertical planes to ensure optimal shading.
In addition to the two fixed vertical circulation cores, the design incorporates playful perimeter routes that connect the different levels through wide staircases, encouraging users to walk and enjoy the surrounding landscape.
The building accommodates community-oriented spaces such as the cafeteria and student associations on the lower floors; training classrooms and study cabins on the intermediate levels; and faculty offices and well-being areas for professors and administrators on the upper floors
The structural design is based on two rigid end cores that contain the vertical circulation shafts, leaving the longitudinal space between them free to allow flexibility for future modifications. The main body of the building was constructed in gray concrete with ochre mineral pigment, evoking the traditional earth walls of the region, while the cores and columns were built in conventional gray concrete.
