The CuBo building, Campus Bio-Medico University – ADC

The CuBo building replaces a vacant area within the campus and introduces a contemporary form to its pastoral setting. Constructed with a modular framework, the CuBo features generous porticos and patios that blur the boundaries between interior and exterior. This extensive use of porticos is intended to be in sync with the overarching principles of the master plan, which calls for “a structured system of open spaces forming a continuum to organise the built environment.”

The broader Horti Academici Master Plan situates the CuBo within a structured grid that contrasts with the irregular patterns of the surrounding countryside. The grid, disrupted by natural elements, integrates through the porticos a variety of open spaces such — squares, loggias, and courtyards — to create a balanced interplay between built and natural environments. Inspired by the Roman tradition of ‘centuriation’, the plan aims to be both functional and symbolic, framing the campus as a democratic space for learning and discovery.

A material palette of exposed reinforced concrete and brick cladding – the latter being a nod to American campuses from the late nineteenth century – is durable and adaptable, with lightweight elements allowing for reconfiguration as educational needs evolve.

Positioned as a bridge between the academic and natural realms, the building’s footprint is informed by the precise grid structure of the master plan, arranged as a series of squares, each spanning 66 metres, with these being further subdivided into ten spans of 6.6 meters. Arranged across three levels and totalling 10,500 square meters (GIA), the building offers a mix of classrooms, communal spaces, and facilities for teaching, socializing, and relaxation.

The ground floor is dominated by a series of eight divisible classrooms, alongside a 330-seat auditorium, though almost half of the building’s total area is dedicated to shared spaces and communal areas, including a cafeteria, multifunctional study zones, and a medical “simulation centre.”

The auditorium, study room, and cafeteria employ wooden slat flooring, while classrooms have been equipped with a rubber floating floor and with a neutral sound-absorbing suspended ceiling. An atrium and further circulation spaces employ large grey Venetian terrazzo slab, complemented by dark grey walls and a wooden slat ceiling.

At the building’s centre, a courtyard links to the surrounding landscape, while the entrance hill and bridge-portico establish visual and physical continuity with the adjacent Decima Malafede Nature Reserve.