Rafael de La-Hoz

University Education Centre . CÓrdoba

Rafael de La-Hoz . PHotos: © Javier Callejas . + archinect

Cubic form and zero gravity, the Vial-Norte UCO building is the result of the combination of massive volumes with light spaces.

Located in a trapezoid-shape plot, as part of Renfe 2 Masterplan – one of the urban extensions of Cordoba, the building seems dramatically weightless, highlighted by the emphasis on the contrast of the façades: glass and concrete.
The new education centre blends in with its surrounding urban backdrop. The north façade, double-skin, and east and west façades are covered in onsite micro-concrete with large windows that allow natural daylight to shine in. The south façade shows a translucent aluminium materiality with driven voids of light that embodies the building's aspirations in the city's fabric.
Resulting in a total GFA of approximately 5.448 m², the five-storey building provides education programs while two underground floors provide parking and optimal storage.

Architect: Rafael de La-Hoz
Team RAFAEL DE LA-HOZ Arquitectos:
Project Team: Hugo Berenguer, Belén Rivera, Fernando de la Fuente, Zaloa Mayor, Álvaro Rivero, Susanne Forner, Monika Kussewska, Laura Díaz, Silvia Villamor y Ángel Rolán.
Graphic design: Luis Muñoz and Daniel Roris
Models: Fernando Mont and Víctor Hugo Coronel
Managing Works: Rafael de La-Hoz and Clemente Lara de la Peñaq
Quantity Surveyor: Rafael García Santaella
Construction company:UTE: INTERSA-FIRPROSA
Structural engineering: Pondio Ingenieros
M&E engineering: Herrero Ingenieros S.L.

Location: C/Joaquín Martínez Bjorkman, Cordoba (Spain)
Client: Cordoba University (UCO)
Start-End Works: 2011-2014
GFA:5,448 sqm