University Research and Training Reinforced in Argentina with Innovative UBA Building

The inauguration ceremony of the modern Cero + Infinito building was preceded by a tour of the property, and followed by speeches by authorities of the national government, the University of Buenos Aires and CAF. Cero + Infinito is a 17,200 m2 sustainable infrastructure and educational development, with a capacity of 1,700 people from the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences of the University of Buenos Aires. Financed and promoted by CAF together with the Government of Argentina, the innovative center will be a driver of change in research and training human resources in the region.

In addition to CAF executive president Sergio Díaz-Granados, the event was attended by Argentine authorities, including Juan Luis Manzur, Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Nation, who inaugurated the building; Axel Kicillof, Governor of the Province of Buenos Aires; Alberto Barbieri, Rector of the University of Buenos Aires; Daniel Filmus, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation; Gustavo Béliz, Secretary of Strategic Affairs; Ana Franchi, President of the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET); Juan Carlos Reboreda, Dean of the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences of the UBA; Cristina Arranz, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry of the UBA, and Cecilia Nicolini, Presidential Advisor.

Also present for CAF was Christian Asinelli, Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming; Andrés Rugeles, Chief of Staff and General Counsel, the Vice President for Sustainable Development, Julián Suárez, and Santiago Rojas, CAF representative in Argentina.

During the meeting, Sergio Díaz-Granados said: “The building has multiple meanings, but the most important of them is not the incorporation of technology and innovation in design and construction, but the human capital of all Latin America that will pass through this place in the coming years, as well as the knowledge that will be generated from Buenos Aires for the entire region.”

Furthermore, at the close of the event, the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, Juan Manzur, pointed out that this center, “almost unique in Latin America, has nothing to envy to any other in the world. Today, Argentina takes a huge step with the inauguration of such a building, and the country renews the hope of a better future.”

The property, located on the premises of the university of Buenos Aires, is yet another example of CAF’s willingness to prioritize research and development in the nation. Although originally designed to meet the need to expand the spaces for teaching and research, it has widely transcended that objective by becoming a architectural reference for the region in terms of infrastructure, design, sustainability and equipment. The building boasts computer rooms, research offices, laboratories, library and rooms with multimedia equipment, among other state-of-the-art resources.

The name comes from the shape of its two central courtyards, which from an aerial view resemble the number zero and the infinite symbol. Cero + Infinito synthesizes an innovative and sustainable architecture that favors interdisciplinary dialogue based on common spaces and recreational areas. The structure provides adequate facilities for research centers that develop topics of national and regional strategic interest, in a university setting that addresses complex issues that require the interaction of different areas of knowledge.

Sustainability is ensured by the novel incorporation in the Latin American region of geothermal energy, complemented with green terraces that collect water via eco-draining slabs. It is also energy efficient, saving 70% in energy consumption, and boasts an enclosure with an enclosed double-glazed system, which facilitates the use of natural light, with sensors that detect and regulate the lighting needs of each room. 

The development of the infrastructure and furnishing of the Cero + Infinito building is one of the four components of the Entrepreneurial Capacity Building Program, an ambitious plan launched by CAF in 2015 to promote a long-term public policy that remains in force today. The objective is to promote entrepreneurship in high-tech areas, combining in a virtuous cycle the investment in infrastructure and in human capital.

Thus, CAF aspires to continue promoting innovation through an improvement in education and the contexts in which it takes place. It is a significant and valuable contribution to the training of students, teachers and researchers in areas of science and technology relevant to the productive development of Argentina and the region.