The Ruta N Complex is one of the most important constructions of recent years in Medellín and for that reason it was recognized with the Lápiz de Acero award. by ACR Latin America
Ruta N is the innovation and business center of the city of Medellín, Colombia, whose philosophy is technology to increase the competitiveness of the city and the entire region; and last March he received the 2013 Steel Pencil Award in the Space Area, Architectural Design category. This award is given by the specialized magazine Proyecto Diseño, which for this selection received a total of 562 projects, of which they made a pre-selection of 100 nominees to compete in the categories of Product Area (5 categories), Costume Area (2 categories), Digital Area (3 categories), Graphic Area
(7 categories), Space Area (4 categories), Design Concept Area (16 projects), Blue Steel Pencil and Steel Pencil Life and Work. The publication qualifies Ruta N as a Center of innovation and new business of the Mayor's Office of Medellín that is part of the urban renewal of the north of the city. "The team sought to generate a structure with a strong environmental commitment and LEED certification, in close relationship with public space and with an architecture representative of education, knowledge and innovation." The group of jurors was made up of experts from The CoPLA (College of Juries of the Steel Pencil Award), and is made up of around 300 recognized professionals in the different areas. They were responsible for naming Ruta N as one of the 21 winners who won the award in each of the categories. Architect Fernando Correa Muñoz, a life member of the jury team, told Ruta N that he has witnessed the evolution presented by the city's architecture over the past 20 years. "Perhaps the great history of architecture of the late nineteenth century, of the great masters who made Colombiana de Tabaco, who made the Church of Villanueva, is supported by this new generation of architects who are doing well, are doing wonderfully well, following the tradition of the best of Colombian architecture that has been made among Medellín, Cali, and Barranquilla from the time when I was young," said the expert. For their part, the architects who participated in the architectural design of the project and were present at the delivery of the Steel Pencil expressed their gratitude and highlighted the trust that was given to them for the creation of a project of this kind. Emerson Marín publicly thanked the recognition and highlighted the characteristics of the project: "We want to thank the Mayor's Office of Medellín that, in a commitment to transform the city, has bet on this type of buildings that transcend architecture. I, who have been in this process for a long time, am very happy to understand that this is not just a building, it is a city program that tends to change the whole idea about the urban, about the place where a sector is positioned and transformed, but at the same time changes the idea of what Medellín is doing. And it is another example of how architecture is capable of transforming a society."
The sustainable philosophy
In the same way, Marín highlights the principle of innovation as the fundamental axis of this construction: "The building has a lot to do with innovation and sustainability, because all this was thought of from the design. This award recognizes the effort made by the mayor's office to bet on architecture, on an innovative building." For his part, the executive director of Ruta N, Juan Pablo Ortega, commented on the principle of sustainability that "we always conceive the spaces and buildings of the Ruta N Complex, as environmentally sustainable, seeking to generate an impact on the urban, and from the urban create an icon of the city of innovation. That is why we are very grateful to receive this recognition, which becomes another reason to continue working." Specifications
Ruta N is currently among the buildings eligible to receive the LEED Silver Category Certification, granted by the Green Building Council of the United States, because it has different requirements demanded by the certifying body in terms of the self-sustainability of the building, efficiency and contribution to the environment. The selection of the site was designed to be close to the different public transport alternatives, which seeks to discourage the use of private transport and thus reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. For that reason the complex has little space for parking vehicles for visitors and employees, they also have a preference for low-emission or shared use vehicles. Additionally, it has a rainwater management system, which after being treated are used for the irrigation system and discharges in the toilets. The toilets have a discharge of 1.28 gallons, which allow a saving of water consumption of 38%. In lighting, an automated system is used that detects the amount of natural lighting available, articulating itself so that, taking into account the artificial light, the necessary is provided to each space. For that reason, the building can turn off or on its lights according to the environment and the conditions that occur at all times, to achieve efficient lighting that generates savings. As for the regulation of the use of air conditioning, Ruta N has glasses that control the entry of infrared radiation, or the heat that enters through the sun, but at the same time allow the entry of natural light. In addition, the design of the air conditioner was made with international standards to preserve indoor air quality. The wood used by the building in some sectors is certified by FSC Forest Stewardship Council, and has standards and quality seals that validate that they are exploited in a sustainable and ecological way. Featured 1
Route N Spaces
It has an area of 8,404 m2 of urban space; 18,203 m2 for towers A and B; and 12,000 m2 for Tower C. It has three volumes: Tower A of public character (Route N), mixed tower B (EPM-UNE) and private tower C (Hewlett Packard), all are articulated by a central courtyard where there is a garden with large tropical trees. Parking lots are developed on a lower level. An urban plinth houses auditoriums, lobby and public uses. Featured 2
The protagonists of design
Architects designers: Alejandro Echeverri Restrepo, Emerson Marin Parra.
Architects and support entities: Carolina Macías Castro, Carlos Téllez Cárdenas, Catalina Lema Ortega, Wilson Gamba Rodríguez, Rodrigo Toledo, Sara Franco, Víctor Gonzáles, Leonardo Cortez, Michael Carmona, Andrés Aristizábal, Jorge Ortiz Tinoco, Green Loop, Jardín Botánico de Medellín.
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