Faculty of Health Sciences, University of La Rioja
Location: Logroño (Spain)
Year: 2026
Type: public competition.
Client: Universidad de La Rioja
Area: 4.450 sqm
Team: Pablo Valero Escolano, David Úbeda Sales, Rocío Martínez-Fons, Francisco Garrido Roca, Grupo Argenia
Resource: Toorji Ka Jhalra, Jodhpur
The proposal is born from the urban values of the site, understanding the building as an extension of the city, capable of activating relationships and fostering a sense of community. From this perspective, the concept of a vertical campus emerges, taking advantage of compactness to concentrate diverse functions while promoting interaction and encounter among users.
Verticality allows for the connection of different levels, creating a continuous relational fabric that integrates programs, people, and activities. The main functional areas are oriented east-west to engage with the urban context, visually linking the building’s activity to the city and making the inner life of the campus visible from the exterior. This orientation also ensures optimal natural light and cross-ventilation, enhancing the comfort and quality of interior spaces.
At the ground floor, a welcoming atrium serves as both the main entrance and a connecting hub, guiding circulation and establishing an initial point of encounter. Above, a landscaped vertical courtyard organizes circulation in a manner reminiscent of a cloister. This courtyard introduces natural light and ventilation deep into the building and acts as the true interior public space where collective life unfolds. Its design encourages social interaction, gathering, and informal encounters, making it the heart of the building.
The courtyard opens toward future green areas, transforming the garden into the central element of the campus. This spatial strategy blurs the boundaries between architecture, city, and nature, creating a seamless relationship between built form and landscape.
The final outcome is a vertical campus that integrates city and nature, programs and people, movement and encounter. It becomes a dynamic environment where architecture catalyzes community life, offering a framework that supports interaction, learning, and shared experiences, while responding sensitively to its urban and natural context. This approach demonstrates how compactness, vertical organization, and thoughtful spatial relationships can generate a vibrant, human-centered campus in the heart of the city.