Duration /
2014–2016

Funding /
IDB Interamerican Development Bank

Key Partners /
Urban-​Think Tank, Chair of Architecture and Urban Design
Block Research Group (both ETH Zurich)
School of Architecture and Engineering, Universidad Del Norte
Major of Barranquilla
Department of Culture of Barranquilla

A/S Team /
J. Fonseca, P. Jayathissa, A. Schlueter

With a relative humidity of 90% and temperatures over 35°C, maintaining comfortable conditions in buildings in Barranquilla (Colombia) becomes a resource intensive operation. In an interdisciplinary process, we selected and evaluated a set of economically and technically feasible strategies that optimise the use of energy and water for the project ‘Fabrica de Cultura’: School of Arts and Music of Barranquilla.

For this purpose, we developed architectural options and used building performance simulation techniques to evaluate the plausibility of concepts such as water management and reuse, decentralized energy generation, ventilation and air-​conditioning, passive building systems, and efficient building components and appliances. The aim was to develop close to optimal solutions to minimize the use of resources in the building while assuring high standards of comfort, an appealing architectural composition, and an attractive return on investment. As a result, four strategic bundles / sustainability concepts were seamlessly integrated into the architecture of the building.

In comparison to a local school, the building achieves up to 93% of net energy savings and related emissions, 86% of water savings as well as COP 144.5 mio (app. USD 76,900) of economic savings with a payback period of 7.4 years. The results of this integrated approach successfully address the three pillars of sustainable development (i.e. social, economic and environmental) at the building scale. The project represents an exemplary case for the Colombian green building code and its specific version for the Caribbean coast.

Selected Publications /
1 / J. Fonseca, P. Jayathissa, A. Schlueter. "Integrated Sustainable Building Design in the Tropics: Case Study 'Fabrica de Cultura', Barranquilla, Colombia," in: Conference Proceedings Energy and Sustainability VI, 2015, 499–510. DOI Research Collection
2 / J. Fonseca, P. Jayathissa, A. Schlueter. "Sustainability Building Concept 'Fabrica de Cultura': School of Arts and Music City of Barranquilla – Colombia," Zurich, 2015