Gerardo Arango S.J. Building – School of Arts

The Gerardo Arango S.J. Building – School of Arts at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana provides a space for students and the arts to flourish. The building is architecturally divided into three sections that represent different forms of art. Designed to feel like autonomous worlds connected by art, each section serves a different purpose. The top of the building is dedicated to visual arts with a focus on natural lighting provided by large skylights. Below lies the world of music, where finished concrete flooring and glass reinforced concrete walls contribute to both quality acoustics and a more introspective atmosphere for practicing. The final section at the bottom of the building houses the performing arts, where high ceilings, large classrooms and auditoriums provide adequate space for dancers and performers. With classrooms, multifunctional spaces for individuals and group work, as well as laboratories for photography, sculpture and painting, every part of the building is designed to foster learning, creativity and innovation.

The five-story building is located on the south side of the campus, facing the National Park. Its design incorporates not only aesthetic and acoustic considerations, but also how the building is integrated sustainably with its surrounding environment. The resource-efficient building has photoelectric sensors that automatically turn off lights when there is sufficient daylight as well as occupancy sensors. Other features such as low-flow faucets and water-efficient single flush water closets reduce water use. These green features enable the university to reduce the building’s operational costs by nearly one third.

Gerardo Arango S.J. Building – School of Arts is the latest addition to Pontificia Universidad Javeriana’s ambitious master plan to renovate a series of its buildings. Its Research and Laboratories Building of the Faculty of Engineering has also been EDGE certified. Gerardo Arango S. J. Building – School of Arts has received final EDGE certification by CAMACOL.