The building is conceived as a compact prism into which a small courtyard is carved, spatially extending the researchers’ access area and visually widening the interior galleries leading to the animal housing modules. It meets strict functional requirements, calling for three basic production and research areas, one of which requires maximum biosafety (P3).
The design is a hermetically sealed enclosure with a variable-density skin that opens at only two points to allow access for researchers and technical staff. From the outside, it reads as a single volume, thanks to a reflective skin of embossed aluminum sheeting that covers the entire upper floor (housing the building systems, allowing maintenance without interrupting operations) and turns into expanded metal mesh at the openings, creating a sense of continuity.
This compact appearance reflects the concept of a highly energy-efficient building, featuring an exterior envelope that rejects direct solar radiation, both on the façades (aluminum cladding) and on the roofs (sandwich panel roofing over a technical floor, which forms a large ventilated air chamber that dissipates radiation), with highly insulating enclosures that provide thermal inertia to the interior, complemented by the use of high-performance HVAC and lighting systems. The design also seeks to reduce its ecological footprint:
-Use of environmentally safe materials, eliminating PVC (pipes, cables) and products containing VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds).
-Flexibility: Interior construction system that facilitates future transformations.
-Pursuit of ZERO MAINTENANCE, using exposed materials without additional finishes on façades and floors (aluminum and stainless steel, OSB panels, polished concrete or linoleum flooring, etc.)
-Use of recycled or recyclable materials in the construction of the building.