CRISTOBAL PALMA

OBJECTIVE

We were asked to design the new Gastronomy & Hospitality School next to a palm garden in the extensive campus of Universidad Católica del Peru. We wanted to make the building as compact as possible, taking up the least amount of land, but also concentrating the program for maximum interaction between students. Three stories high and a basement, host all the needed program of classrooms, workshops and chambers conveniently supplied by sophisticated equipment and ducting.
The building is conceived as a gastronomic machine to train the students: everything is bluntly exposed seeking the maximum transparency and traceability. By the mere fact of spending enough time in the school, students will become fully aware of all the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems required for the operation. How the water and gas gets to your kitchen station? How does electricity reaches the light lamp? Where does the waste or grease ends up? Even the construction process is exposed by only plastering or cladding those walls or floors required for sanitary purposes. So if a wall was made out of brick or gypsum or cast in place concrete, you will notice.
Complementing the technical training with botanical knowledge, the western sun façades house a vertical edible orchard with numerous planters that show the students different species and how food is actually grown… just by climbing stairs or going from one class to the other. The school’s building is in itself a learning device.

CONTEXT

The Gastronomy & Hospitality School is located on the campus of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, a private institution that was started in 1917. The university sits within the city's San Miguel district.
The school provides training for students aspiring to be chefs, bakers, restaurant owners and hotel operators, among with other jobs associated with the food and hospitality industries. In recent years, Peru has become a "foodie paradise", and the new school is meant to support the country's burgeoning culinary scene.
Local firm 51-1 Arquitectos was charged with creating an educational building that would house a range of spaces, including kitchens, food storage rooms, and a diner. The building, which sits next to a palm tree orchard, is designed to have a limited footprint while still accommodating an extensive programme.