Newsletter of the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University
The dean of the College of Architecture at Texas A&M says the potential for collaboration between the college and a new university facility in Costa Rica is as fertile as the rain forest that surrounds it.
“I don’t know of any other university that has a facility of this quality in the middle of a rain forest,” said Jorge Vanegas, who was among the dignitaries gathered in June for the formal dedication of Texas A&M’s new Soltis Center for Research and Education in Costa Rica’s Monteverde Cloud Forest.
“We are going to be committed to developing programs with the center that support undergraduate semester abroad opportunities, as well as the graduate curriculum and selected research activities, particularly in sustainability of the natural and built environments, one of our College’s research landmark areas,” said Vanegas.
In May, with funding from the Office of Undergraduate Studies, the center hosted a group of first-time freshmen students from the college, accompanied by three faculty members (Elton Abbott, Leslie Feigenbaum, and Jorge Vanegas), for a week-long course. For five days, the students explored the adjoining forest during the day and at night, they designed possible future facilities for trails there, such as rest stops and scenic points. They also had the opportunity to visit local points of interest, such as the Arenal Volcano, and enjoy local attractions, such as the zip lines over the canopy of the forest.
“I fell in love with the place and the possibilities it offers,” said Vanegas, who led the class. “I’m a total fan of what I saw. It’s a laboratory like you would not believe.”
He said the center’s location provides students with first-hand knowledge about sustainability.
“Nothing says more about environmental, social and economic sustainability than being in the middle of a rain forest,” he said. “It offers a tremendous opportunity to practice sustainable urbanism, because there are a lot of small communities relatively close to the center that could participate in studies.”
The center, said Vanegas, could also be a laboratory for architecture that is very adaptable to highly sensitive ecological systems, possibly with features for energy generation, water use or the use of alternative materials like bamboo.
He said he envisions inviting select students from Costa Rica’s top universities to study alongside Texas A&M students to enhance the cultural experience of their Central American visit.
In 2005, Bill Soltis, a 1955 mechanical engineering graduate from Texas A&M, approached his alma mater about donating the land and building new facilities there to provide an international experience and protect the area’s unique ecological setting while increasing awareness for preservation efforts. He has spent most of his life in the construction business, including construction of facilities in Costa Rica.
Soltis built the new center for Texas A&M at his own expense, based on student designs created in spring 2006 by a multidisciplinary studio at the College of Architecture. The center’s construction was overseen by Elton Abbott, assistant dean for special projects at the College of Architecture.
At the center’s dedication, Eric M. Bost, the university’s vice president for global initiatives, lauded Soltis’ donation to the university and recognized the center’s educational potential.
“Not only are Aggies gaining valuable academic skills at the Soltis Center, but they are also learning and putting into practice skills in leadership and community service on a global level,” Bost said.
The center, which can accommodate up to 56 visitors, features a computer lab, wireless Internet, dining hall and laundry room.
It also boasts a video conference room with a simultaneous translation
system, access to the virtual library of Texas A&M, classrooms, several laboratories, and two special rooms: one is handicap accessible and the second one is for children.
The center is divided into two main sections: one claims 40 hectares and hosts classrooms and dorms for students, professors, and researchers. The other section is a private area of about 101 hectares for the conservation, study and research of the ecosystem.
Vanegas also attended the opening of a new Aggie educational facility in Mexico City.
The Mexico Center, established through the donation of Pablo Marvin ’66 and his wife Barbara, is located in the Bosques de Las Lomas corporate zone of Mexico’s capital city.
The opening ceremonies took place at the Texas A&M University Center in Mexico.
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- Posted July 13th -
