Proving the power of Latin American universities to be engines of innovation and entrepreneurship through partnership with industry and R&D communities
20 mins
The master plan is driven by an integrated and sustainable vision of human development and education, where the Tecnológico de Monterrey can be a major catalyst for the transformation of the city and Mexico as a whole
All over the world, cities and major universities are collaborating to create new economies and regenerate society. Tecnológico de Monterrey is positioned to become a leader in stimulating national urban and economic regeneration—and prove the power of Latin American universities as engines of innovation and entrepreneurship. Tecnológico de Monterrey has set an objective to become one of the top 100 global universities, and the best university in Latin America.
In response to this vision, Sasaki’s urban regeneration plan for Tecnológico de Monterrey establishes a framework for the long-term evolution of the campus and adjoining neighborhoods. The plan creates an environment in the university context that will attract significant research and development investment, while transforming the community into a lively, attractive, dynamic, and integrated district.
Investment in both the commercial and residential markets has concentrated in the suburban San Pedro, exacerbating Monterrey’s reliance on private transportation. The plan aims to reverse this condition by a process of regeneration and strategic investments.
The master plan supports the strategic goals of the university through the development of research and graduate programs, the recruitment of top national and international faculty and students, targeted investment in innovative learning environments, and physical reorganization to achieve greater interdisciplinary collaboration. This is coupled with the development of new partnerships with business and industry entrepreneurs that generate the potential for higher levels of research and product innovation. With close proximity to the academic core, new mixed-use research districts are created to encourage a healthy relationship between the academic community, knowledge industries, and the larger Monterrey community.
Concept: A new open space spine moves through Avenida del Estado, across the historic core of the original campus, connecting to the recreation fields to the north. This new district flow blurs the boundaries of the campus and ties together open space, new development and the neighborhoods surrounding the university. Sustainability is promoted in environmental, social and economic terms.
Integrated Framework: The plan balances investment on campus and within the neighborhood and builds on the conviction that a great university requires a vibrant and successful surrounding community
The Monterrey campus—already an attractive and vibrant community—is designed to provide a modern, beautiful environment that supports collaborative and interdisciplinary learning and problem-solving, with academic, cultural, social, residential, and athletic facilities. The whole campus becomes a classroom, where the many forms of learning come together to create a unique and holistic experience.
Guided by the conviction that a great university requires a vibrant and successful surrounding community, the master plan outlines strategic improvements within adjoining neighborhoods that have an immediate impact on the community. Through an ongoing community outreach process, the master plan proposes improvements to the neighborhoods such as improved parks, better security, and improved streets and public realm to support walking and biking, making the neighborhoods more sustainable and desirable areas for living and working.
Overall Framework: The plan strengthens the connections between the campus and the neighborhood. New mixed use districts immediately adjacent to the university will attract investment from allied industries, allowing the Tec to be a major catalyst for the transformation of the city.
Program components
Sasaki’s Strategies team helped visual pedestrian circulation across campus and into the surrounding neighborhoods with the My Campus tool
Inspired by a 21st Century educational vision, two nodes at either end of the core campus will create new opportunities for engaged learning across the disciplines. They transform currently underutilized spaces into hubs of collaboration and and entrepreneurship. At the center, the Student Faculty Commons and Library become the academic and social crossroads of the Tec.
With the objective of advancing the regeneration of the campus and adjoining neighborhoods, Sasaki is undertaking detailed architectural and landscape studies for key areas within the master plan:
The existing library will be transformed into a bold and dynamic 21st-century learning environment. It will be a crossroads for the campus encouraging transparency, engagement and collaboration.
At the heart of the new student and faculty commons district, the new TecXXI Exchange Pavilion will serve as a focal point and meeting place for assemblies, social events, and the exchange of ideas.
The existing Borregos stadium will be redeveloped as a 15,000-spectator facility on a new site that will enhance integration with the adjoining neighborhood, and become Mexico’s premier collegiate football stadium.
A state-of-the-art 11,000-square-meter recreation center will integrate a gymnasium and an Olympic-sized pool with expanded exercise and recreation facilities. Together with new playing fields it will define a green connection from the campus to the new stadium.
With input from the community, the existing Parque Tecnológico is reimagined as a vital center of urban life in the Tecnológico neighborhood, and an engine of change and reinvestment in the nearby neighborhoods.
The new library’s facade opens up to Jardín de las Carreras, with its main level connecting directly to the outdoors, and to primary pedestrian routes. Read more about the completed project
The new TecXXI Exchange Pavilion will serve as a focal point and meeting place for assemblies, social events, and the exchange of ideas
Active and passive sustainability strategies make the library a highly energy efficient structure, setting the standard for future buildings on campus and the district.
The Tec XXI Exchange Pavilion supports a variety of uses including presentations and lectures
Lecture configuration in the pavilion
Overall campus
The new Design Center will create synergies between engineering and design. Ground level uses are curated to showcase ideas in a workshop atmosphere.
Pedestrian circulation leads from the library through the design center and plaza outside the life hub
Section through pavilions shows a variety of uses
Section through Tec XXI Exchange Pavilion
The proposed mixed use research cluster is well connected to both the campus and the district
A Hub building provides incubator and event spaces to strengthen the synergies between the business community and student and faculty entrepreneurs
At its heart is a new plaza, accessible by streets and strong pedestrian linkages
The Research Cluster will be the gateway to innovation at Tec
The new vision for the campus and mixed use research cluster simultaneously addresses the environmental, economic, and social components of sustainable planning and design
A series of interventions reconnect the core campus to the district, creating a more active street edge while providing additional open space and amenities to the community
The Innovation Hub will be the new symbol for the Tec in the 21st century
The new plaza will provide a vibrant public realm for students and the community. Large benches will allow users to sit in groups and engage with each other.
The Distrito Hub will be a new district focal point, where researchers, employees, entrepreneurs and the business community can engage with each other
Mixed Use Sports Hub: On the site of the old stadium, new flexible playing fields, flanked by the Recreation Center and mixed use buildings (research, residential and cultural), form a park-like connection between the Recreation Fields and the academic core
New flexible playing fields adjacent to the stadium, draw the community to the academic core and the university to the neighborhood
Sustainable features in the sports hub promote a healthy district
The recreation center overlooks the flexible playing fields
Stadium section highlighting sustainable design elements
Nighttime view of the new stadium
Establishing New Synergies: The larger scale research and academic related buildings front onto the recreation fields and public spaces, while the lower rise residential courtyards integrate with the scale and function of the surrounding district
Currently a walled, low-rise compound of university back offices, Campus Norte turns its back to the neighborhood and blocks access and views to the recreation fields
A new Live/Work/ Play cluster reconnects the district fabric to the university, drawing the community into the campus environment
The plan reconceives an existing park, thought to be unsafe by students, faculty, and staff, as an important element of neighborhood revitalization. Read more about the design
Park plan
The design incorporates a robust stormwater capture system that will support the park’s irrigation demand. The system is visible to all park users, showcasing the benefits of a working landscape.
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