Founded in 1967, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, also known as Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), is a non-profit research organization that is focused on leveraging tropical agriculture to reduce hunger and poverty and improve human nutrition while addressing climate change and reducing biodiversity loss. 

In 2015, CIAT launched a design competition for an innovative agricultural hub focused on researching and storing yucca, beans, and grasses to further their mission. Alejandro Echeverri + Valencia Arquitectos (AEV), a Colombian architecture firm based in Medellín, won the design competition with Arup and together sought to bring to life the groundbreaking facility.

The new CIAT campus in Palmira hosts a variety of buildings, including Future Seeds, one of the largest seed banks in the world. Future Seeds houses tens of thousands of plant strains for research and conservation. 

Arup worked closely with CIAT and AEV to achieve a design that would be flexible and sustainable, delivering a state-of-the-art, net zero, and high performing building. From the breathable canopy and modular laboratories to a learning center open to the public, the sustainable design of Future Seeds is delivering crop diversity to climate-proof global food systems.

As the first ever LEED Platinum certified gene bank building in the world, this project is a significant achievement in sustainability, given the complexity and specific needs of such an energy intensive center located in a hot, humid climate.

Achieving state-of-the-art sustainability

Future Seeds distributes samples to farmers and researchers around the world. While preserving a growing collection of crops from different regions of the world, the laboratory requires specific microclimate and temperature controls. Normally, this type of laboratory would require a lot of energy. Seeking to bolster global food and nutrition security in the face of climate change, the physical facility itself would also need to support and embody sustainability goals and standards.

Working with AEV and CIAT, Arup devised an optimal design to achieve high sustainability standards while meeting unique performance requirements. We advised on the path to LEED Platinum and Labs 21 benchmarking, which tracks the energy performance of laboratories. Arup additionally provided design assistance with respect to the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.

Designing for a tropical climate

To achieve thermal comfort on the site amidst a hot, humid climate and calm wind conditions, Arup advised low-energy and passive solutions for maximizing the outdoor thermal comfort on site. The breathable canopy design deflects sunlight and allows hot air to escape along with additional overhead fans and openings for ventilation. This design guarantees comfort for visitors while also using less energy to cool the space.

Additional features at the site include the filtered air renewal system, which improves the building’s air quality, and solar energy generation, which provides nearly half of the energy the building needs to operate.  

Seed banks inside Future Seeds
Future Seeds is one of the largest seed banks in the world. Image © Juan Pablo Marin
International Center for Tropical Agriculture
We developed an ideal design that balances high sustainability standards with unique performance requirements. Image © Juan Pablo Marin
International Center for Tropical Agriculture
The breathable canopy design deflects sunlight and allows hot air to escape, complemented by overhead fans and additional openings for enhanced ventilation. Image © Juan Pablo Marin