Medellín university opens the first 'green building' in Colombia
By Daniel Brody, Editorial Director
Friday, August 27, 2010
EAFIT University in Medellin opened a so-called "green building" on its campus this week.
The environmentally-friendly building collects and re-uses rainwater, has a power plant that uses lower amounts of electricity, and was designed with a system of natural air flow for better low-cost ventilation.
Two of the building's walls, 115 meters long and 15 meters high, are made of plant material and are also meant to help keep the building cool.
"The building is part of the 'university park' concept that we want to implement. In our master plan, we are committed to linking the future of the university with caring for the environment," said university rector Juan Luis Mejía.
"We have to convert the university campus into a setting where we can live together with our tropical flora. For that reason, we have planted about 16,000 orchids in three years to bring back the vegetation that was here, which in due time will attract native fauna," Mejía added.
The construction of the building cost about US$7.5 million, half of which was financed by the Colombian Ministry of Education and the state Territorial Development Treasury.
Colombian architect Juan Fernando Forero designed the 8,200-square-meter structure, which will house the engineering faculty.
In total, 45 professors from the school's faculty participated in the planning of and structural calculations for the building, according to engineering department dean Alberto Rodriguez.
"This is not a building that houses a school, but rather a school that thought of its building," beamed Rodriguez.
Other ecologically-themed buildings are being planned for the campus, including a new center for post-graduate studies.
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