Noticias

The Colombian talent behind Semillas del Futuro

Located at the Bioversity International and CIAT Alliance facilities in Palmira, Valle del Cauca, this new building will house the global bean, cassava, and tropical forage collections, which include more than 65,000 varieties and wild relatives. Work is underway to make it the first germplasm bank built with platinum-level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and Building Challenge certification, thanks to the creativity of Colombian architects, engineers and scientists.

It never gets hot in the new seed bank of the Bioversity International-CIAT alliance, even if the temperature outside exceeds 30 degrees Celsius. The building’s structure was designed with a huge forest in mind. The tall, yellow, imposing roof is half-open to let in the sun’s rays, but only enough to keep the temperature from rising too high, as it does in the forest.

The water that the building needs to function comes from rain, and is returned to the treated soil, and it also has solar panels that supply the energy required to conserve what is in the freezing vaults of the bean and tropical forage collections and in the in vitro cassava laboratory, considered the largest collections in the world, with 65,000 different materials.
The design and construction of this modern building is intended to emphasize a message: these are times when sustainability is crucial at every level: research, production, but also construction.

The new building, called Semillas del Futuro, inaugurated by the President of Colombia, Iván Duque, is located in the Alliance’s facilities in Palmira, Valle del Cauca, and is working to become the first germplasm bank built with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) platinum level certification, and Building Challenge, thanks to the creativity of Colombian architects, engineers and scientists.

Precisely, supporting the search for this certification, is the Colombian company Green Loop, dedicated to the development of sustainable projects and sustainability certification processes both nationally and internationally. Engineer and architect Esteban Martínez explains that LEED certification evaluates the design, construction and operation of buildings in terms of energy efficiency and environmental performance, while Building Challenge certification determines that the construction has a regenerative design, «that is to say that the spaces give back to the environment more than they take».

The Bioversity – CIAT Alliance team was also instrumental in the construction of the new seed bank. Engineer Camilo Ujueta was the project manager, in charge of directing the entire support team at the construction site. Camilo continues to be in charge of the maintenance of Semillas del Futuro, while architects Lina Gil and Leonardo Prieto, also from the Alliance, supported the implementation of the design and electrical civil works of a structure where 80 Colombian scientists who are experts in genetic resources are currently working.

This state-of-the-art bank, designed and operated by local talent, will continue with the mission of conserving and distributing collections of vital crops such as beans, cassava and forages, and identifying unique qualities related to climate resistance and nutrition from Colombia to the world.

Article taken from: https://alliancebioversityciat.org/es/stories/el-talento-colombiano-detras-del-banco-semillas-del-futuro

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