Located in the Ciudad Universitaria and taking advantage of the existing foundations on the site originally intended for a fifth pavilion, this competition proposes the design of a 45,000 m² building for the new Faculty of Psychology headquarters.
Considering the potential offered by this riverside site—with its views of the city, the water, and the surrounding parks, as well as the possibility of incorporating outdoor spaces as extensions of the building’s functions—the central focus of the project is the relationship between architecture and landscape.
In this context, the project aims to mediate between two approaches to this relationship: on one hand, the idea of pure volumes standing out against the landscape, as seen in the design of the existing pavilions; on the other, the notion of a building that blends into the landscape and creates usable outdoor spaces.
Through a prismatic classroom volume that spans the length of the site, the building connects to the south with Pavilions 2 and 3. Meanwhile, the more public areas of the program (such as the main hall, cafés, library, and recreation spaces) extend beyond the classroom volume, allowing these spaces to enjoy wide views of the surrounding landscape and form terraces that expand the usable area. In this way, they act as extensions of the indoor spaces and support outdoor activities, encouraging use of the park that surrounds the buildings.