Aulario University of Seville

The implementation of the new CATEPS classroom is conditioned by the proximity to the ETSI laboratories and the need to maintain an efficient and symbolic connection with the existing building. To this end, the length of the connecting walkway is minimised and the classroom block is given a certain height, ensuring its integration into the surroundings and preventing it from going unnoticed. Its morphology responds to various tensions in the surroundings: a curvature in its façade that embraces the existing building, a compact design to optimise acoustics and views, and a concavity towards the northeast that reinforces the connection with the green areas.

In terms of functional distribution, the lecture theatre is organised into two five-storey volumes connected by a central space, reinterpreting the triple bay layout. This space not only facilitates circulation, but also generates strategic voids that provide spaciousness without increasing the built surface area. The entrances are located in the central axis, with the classrooms organised according to their size: the largest classrooms in the north block and the medium-sized classrooms in the south block.

The interconnection with the existing building is key to the functional unity of the complex. A diagonal walkway was chosen, the most direct and efficient solution, which allows a fluid connection between the two volumes through the east terrace, consolidating the circulatory system of CATEPS.

Sustainability

The sustainability strategy focuses on three design decisions: the creation of a courtyard as a thermal regulator, the design of the distribution galleries as an intermediate space and solar protection by means of a perforated composite panel façade.