CAZA Architects

SURBA

Project Size: Medium

Servita Arts Complex

How can architecture bring together arts and municipal services?

Servita Arts Complex in Bogotá brings together an unlikely pairing of buildings: an art museum in a historic home and a series of municipal service facilities. The Complex centers around Villa Servita, a historic landmark that is free and open to the public, and houses an emerging art gallery. Due to the structure’s landmark restrictions, it was prohibited to build anything taller than the house on this plot of land. To accommodate these restrictions, we created an interconnected subterranean network of municipal buildings, designed with parametric design strategies, that wrap around the property in a snake-like configuration.

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

A vision of the future rooted in heritage
The design of Servita Arts Complex embraces the architectural and artistic traditions of Colombia, creating a municipal center that embodies the aspirations of the community while remaining grounded in its heritage. The shifting geometric configuration of the complex was inspired by the folding planes of the Andes Mountains and references the Post-War and Contemporary Colombian art found in the Villa Servita. The project incorporates modular planning principles and reflects metabolic architecture by integrating energy flows and circulation patterns that connect both the arts and civic functions.

Palo Pavilion

How can design help rebuild a community?

The Palo Pavilion recreates a beloved public recreation facility that was destroyed by Hurricane Haiyan in 2013. The gymnasium is equipped with public seating, storage, bathrooms, lockers, and an elevated stage for public performances. Both a public gathering space and an athletic facility, the Pavilion incorporates physical activity into community members’ daily routines.

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

Whole Building Sustainability
The Pavilion’s roof, which resembles an animal shell, is made up of a network of modular steel and wood beams, strategically placed with parametric design techniques to direct drainage and capture storm-water. This approach demonstrates regenerative health, ensuring the building serves not only as shelter but also as part of a sustainable urban ecosystem. The alternating curvature of the supporting beams creates windows that allow natural light to enter and reduce energy demand. These windows open outward to the landscape, creating a dialogue between the pavilion, the environment, and the community.

Integrating the building into the community
The alternating curvature of the beams reinforces the connection between interior activities and the natural surroundings, fostering a sense of place and social cohesion. The Pavilion serves as a node in a broader distributive network of civic spaces, helping to heal and rebuild the community through shared infrastructure and culture.

Hamilo Pavilion

How can a building enhance a public landscape?

Hamilo Pavilion combines a number of pre-existing structural features with a contemporary façade, creating a subtle space that seems embedded in its lush surroundings. Designed with principles of metabolic architecture, the building hosts a range of social events, with multiple points of access demonstrating the structure’s versatility and organic position within the landscape. A glass enclosure frames panoramic views of Pico de Loro Bay. The double-height roof, shaped using parametricdesign techniques, folds over an expansive wooden terrace with a black metal mesh surface, establishing a place to rest, socialize, or enjoy a moment of solitude.

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

Community Gathering Place
The modular design equips the building to host a range of events, including social gatherings and religious services, creating a resilient center for community in Hamilo.

100 Walls Church

What should a 21st-century sacred space look like?

This project explores how design can support the role of the Church in the Philippines in both establishing strong ties within a community and guiding the individual spiritual lives of its members.

We consider each project on its own terms and develop tailored responses. Learn about our vision and mission.

Within the church, no room is completely bound by four walls. Each is at once complete unto itself and interwoven with the surrounding spaces through a carefully orchestrated, modular configuration. This interplay of connectivity and separation embodies principles of metabolic architecture, inviting members to wander the grounds, discovering sunken gardens and sanctuary spaces designed to foster both resiliency and spiritual reflection. In this way, the church creates moments of community and solitude, maintaining the regenerative health of both individuals and the collective through this spiritual and communal experience.