Architecture students at the University of Panama have unveiled a series of groundbreaking design proposals that address pressing environmental and social challenges facing the country. Among the standout projects is a modular floating city designed to combat rising sea levels, alongside educational facilities for remote communities and sustainable urban planning solutions.
The University of Panama's School of Architecture, established in 1943 as the largest architecture school in the Republic of Panama, has positioned itself as a vibrant center for innovation and knowledge. The institution emphasizes comprehensive student development through relevant curricula, continuous faculty development, and integration of modern technologies. School officials state their vision is to become a prestigious faculty recognized for shaping socially sensitive and technically responsible professionals who can transform Panamanian society.
The school's educational philosophy centers on values of excellence, integrity, honesty, responsibility, justice, respect, tolerance, pluralism, equity, innovation, and solidarity. These principles guide every project and action, ensuring an education that inspires and motivates students beyond the classroom. Faculty members cultivate students' passion for designing and building responses to tropical climate challenges, believing each student can become a catalyst for change and a visionary ready to design tomorrow's cities.
Roxana Castillo's "Public Library Park in the Arraiján District" addresses urban fragmentation caused by poor planning, insufficient public spaces, and high illiteracy rates. Her proposal draws inspiration from Medellín's successful library park strategy, demonstrating how such spaces serve not only as book repositories but as community meeting points. The project aims to generate social transformation, promote inclusion, and create a symbolic landmark for Arraiján residents.
David Riquelme's "School with a Contemporary Vision of Education in Don Bosco" examines architecture's role in educational development. His research highlights how poor infrastructure can demotivate students and increase dropout rates, while well-designed environments inspire and enrich learning experiences. The project analyzes architectural design as a strategic tool for strengthening education and proposing innovative solutions to existing challenges.
Angélica Newsan developed "The School of My Dreams," a prototype educational center designed specifically for hard-to-reach communities. Her modular, transportable, and adaptable design enables rapid, efficient construction that respects natural and cultural environments. Using lightweight materials, sustainable techniques, and community participation, the design creates functional, safe, and flexible spaces responding to local needs. The elevated modular system includes classrooms, dormitories, bathrooms, and common areas connected by modules raised on stilts that adapt to varying terrain conditions.
Jennia Monrroy's "Bamboo Eco-Construction Training Center in Potrerillos, Chiriquí" promotes appreciation and utilization of bamboo as a locally-sourced construction material. Her exploration included comprehensive species inventory and geometric, physical, and mechanical characterization of Guadua angustifolia bamboo. Based on these studies, community interviews, and site analysis, she designed a master plan incorporating built infrastructure and adaptable modules that conform to topography and spatial functions. The center grows in stages alongside planted bamboo and community knowledge development.
Christian Lasso's "Migratory Shorebird and Panama Bay Wetland Visitor Center" draws inspiration from western sandpiper behavior patterns. Through digital analysis of flight patterns and flock densities, he developed an architectural approach interpreting migratory bird movements. The elevated platform design between mangroves and mudflats serves as both viewpoint and educational space, with open architecture integrated into the landscape to raise awareness about wetland importance and promote shorebird conservation.
Anderson Florez designed an "Applied Research Center for the University of Panama" featuring folded architecture that yields to the site while stimulating zone crossings and path intersections to generate curiosity. His building typology incorporates four core activities: collect, use, disseminate, and research. The structure integrates solutions for runoff management, solar energy utilization, natural ventilation, and ecological materials, using wind, light, and rain to transform the spatial experience over time.
Gabriel Trujillo's "Municipal Food Market with Sustainable Vertical Hydroponic Gardens in Juan Diaz" envisions future food markets addressing current difficulties and future challenges. His design incorporates traditional market elements while considering surrounding characteristics and creating urban fabric symbiosis. The project features a 1,200-square-meter vertical hydroponic garden in the main atrium, providing capacity equivalent to 8,000 square meters of traditional planting.
María del Carmen Lamela conceived an "Exhibition and Training Center for the Visual Arts" as a cultural catalyst promoting artistic production awareness in Panama. Located in Panama City, the design engages with place memory through inside-outside relationships, generating modulation with contrasts in color, light, shadow, and texture. The proposal utilizes timeless materials including pigmented concrete, steel, aluminum louvers, tempered glass, breeze blocks, perforated metal, and solid and alveolar polycarbonate panels.
Marcos González developed the "Guararé Botanical Garden" project, encompassing botanical research buildings, administrative areas, species-growing greenhouses, and compositional proposals for five themed gardens and tropical forest covering more than 65,000 square meters. His comprehensive approach included species recommendations and detailed cost analysis with general financing proposals for project development.
The most ambitious proposal comes from David Beltrán and Samuel Bonilla's "Modular City on the Water," addressing climate change and rising sea levels threatening the indigenous Guna Yala region on Panama's Caribbean coast. Their floating, adaptable architecture integrates sustainability principles using renewable energy technologies and low environmental impact materials to ensure self-sufficiency. The design prioritizes cultural respect for Guna people's traditions, offering housing solutions that maintain community lifestyle and aquatic activities while complying with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
These student projects represent the University of Panama's commitment to addressing local and global challenges through innovative architectural solutions. The proposals demonstrate how emerging architects can combine technical expertise with cultural sensitivity to create meaningful, sustainable designs that serve their communities while respecting environmental constraints and cultural heritage.
