UTAMED is a university project in Málaga, Spain, that transforms a former call centre into an educational facility. Located in a predominantly commercial district with limited public spaces, the intervention reconsiders the relationship between the existing building and its urban surroundings. Rather than treating the university as an enclosed institution, the design opens the ground floor towards the city, creating opportunities for interaction between the academic community and the public.
The adaptive reuse approach gives an existing commercial building a new educational function, extending its service life and avoiding the need for an entirely new structure. The project also responds to UTAMED's predominantly online teaching model, which requires a physical campus capable of establishing institutional identity despite intermittent student attendance.
The courtyard as a passive design element
The design draws on the traditional Andalusian patio, reinterpreting it as the organisational centre of the university. The courtyard establishes visual and spatial connections between different areas while allowing the ground floor to function as an extension of the surrounding public realm. Beyond its social role, the courtyard contributes to the building's environmental performance. It introduces natural daylight into the interior and supports cross-ventilation, helping to improve indoor comfort through passive strategies.
Vegetation further connects the indoor environment with the outdoors, creating a shared space for gathering, circulation and informal interaction. This integration of environmental and social functions reflects the longstanding role of courtyards in Mediterranean architecture.
Esparto grass as a climate-responsive material
Another defining element is the use of esparto grass, a traditional Mediterranean plant fibre associated with Andalusian craftsmanship and local production. The project incorporates esparto as a solar and atmospheric filter, moderating solar radiation while introducing a material expression connected to the region's cultural heritage.
Its use represents an alternative to conventional manufactured screening materials and creates opportunities to support local craft knowledge and production networks.
By reintroducing a natural fibre that has gradually fallen out of widespread use, the project also establishes a connection between contemporary construction, traditional skills and circular-economy principles.
Connecting education and public space
UTAMED combines adaptive reuse, passive environmental strategies and locally rooted material choices to create a university environment that extends beyond conventional teaching spaces. The open ground floor encourages public engagement, while the courtyard and esparto screening contribute to daylight management, ventilation and solar control.
