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How to Design a "Building that Breathes": A Sustainable Case Study of Colombia's EDU Headquarters

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Written by Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano EDU + Salmaan Craig | Translated by Matthew Valletta

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In the Colombian city of Medellin, a new headquarters is being constructed for the Empresa de
Desarrollo Urbano (Urban Development Company), combining optimal thermal performance with local
urban regeneration. The new EDU headquarters is the result of a three-part collaboration between the
public company, the private sector, and Professor Salmaan Craig from the Harvard Graduate School of
Design who has family roots in the Colombian capital.

Constructed on the site of the former EDU headquarters on San Antonio Park, the scheme aims to act as
a benchmark for sustainable public buildings in Medellin, embracing the mantra of “building that
breath."

As a specialist in materials, thermal design, and building physics, Professor Craig (EngD) voluntarily
offered his service to the scheme’s realization. Below, he explains the thermodynamic challenges behind
the building’s conception.