University

Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) is a 3,500-student university in San Diego, California located on a lush coastal campus with landmarks predating the 1800s in the theosophist vernacular. PLNU life is grounded in a strong sense of faith guided by the tenets of personal salvation, a life of service, and the Bible’s primacy. PLNU is also known for its acclaimed science programs and successful medical school placements. Its existing Rohr Science building was 52 years old and the needs of the Chemistry, Biology, Physical, Math, and Computer Science Departments had grown beyond the capacities of that facility.

The new Student Center at Western Michigan University (WMU) is a beacon of inclusion. Located on lands historically occupied by Ojibwe, Odawa and Bodewadmi nations, the building is designed to be a student-centered gathering place that champions belonging and honors the roots of Native American heritage embedded throughout the site.  

Some recognize in its facade the organic shape of a tree, while others, on the contrary, see human figures. Observing the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Mendoza, we can attest that we are in the presence of a building that constitutes a paradigmatic case in the context of the 1960s in Argentina.

Climate-Driven Design
Wenzhou, a city that has a name hinting at a mild climate. This prompted us to imagine a more intimate connection between people and nature, emphasizing more outdoor activities and living specifically. The climatic context became the genesis for conceptualizing the Wenzhou Medical University International Exchange Center. The specific site, embraced by continuous tree canopies, makes a pleasing landscape.

Gaia – Asia’s most expansive wooden edifice – Named after the Greek Earth Goddess, Gaia represents a bold marriage between Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects, and RSP, showcasing excellence in the design of education environments and sustainable architectural expertise. The six-story construction serves as a hub for learning, research, and innovation – a place where NTU students, faculty, and staff connect and collaborate. 

“Originally from the USA, celebrated Indian Architect and Planner, Prof. Benninger’s architectural journey mirrors the life of a dedicated scholar. His firm ‘CCBA Designs’ based in Pune, is a multi-disciplinary design company renowned for its innovative and contextually sensitive creations. Since its inception, the firm has created a great number of institutions around the world, harbouring the identity and symbolic relationship between the built environment and the social fabric. Their latest endeavour brings them back to Benninger’s beginnings in India. 

The National School of Business is a higher education institution offering both graduate and post-graduate courses in business management. Driven by a collaboration-focused, holistic pedagogy, NSB has cemented itself as one of Bangalore’s reputed business schools. In response to their rapid growth, the institution conceived of a new center of academia adjacent to its existing campus. Working with the institution’s board of directors, we developed a vision for this new block: a unique, landmark form that would refresh the institution’s identity and exemplify its community-centric ethos, all while fulfilling the heavy programmatic requirements.

Generating the project of expansion and enhancement of the Urban Campus of the “Universidad Argentina de la Empresa” / UADE, in the central area of the City of Buenos Aires on 9th of July Avenue, meant leading one of the most important events of the new urban habits, taking into account the great generational changes regarding educational formats, the new spatial order derived from the different one on one behaviors and their impact on university practices and the modern technologies applied to teaching and, in particular, in this case, the permanent growth of UADE’s student body and, together with this, the University’s future strategic guidelines.

The Nantes School of Design completes the development of the “Ile de la Création”. Along with the School of Fine Arts, the School of Architecture, and a network of local businesses, it forms an ecosystem on the island that is as fertile as the one it replaces, namely ship-building. The fundamental premise of the project is to share the activity and production of the school by setting up workshops with large windows looking out onto the street.