The Jaime Rentería Child Development Center is situated in Siloé, a renowned neighborhood in Cali, Colombia, rich with over a century of cultural history. Originally, this area was a settlement established for mining families during the coal mining boom.
Located opposite a cemetery, the site is characterized by irregular urban roads intersecting and encroaching on waterways. This has resulted in densely packed, high-risk, and hard-to-access slopes, leaving minimal green public space available.
In this challenging environment, the Child Development Center exemplifies how public buildings in Colombia serve as government infrastructure and how leaders utilize architecture to shape social welfare initiatives.
Known as the “Cradle of Winners,” this building allows the municipal government to showcase educational achievements while honoring the community’s significant contributions to the city. The architecture has revitalized the residents’ confidence and sense of belonging in Siloé. Remarkably, this community is the only one in Colombia to have produced two Olympic medalists among other notable accomplishments, with athletes who spent their childhoods playing in the area’s complex streets, stairways, and corridors.
This urban initiative aims to foster a strong sense of identity among citizens, restore lost environmental values, and create new spaces for community activities. By developing ecologically sensitive and environmentally friendly private-public spaces, the project strengthens connections among residents and prioritizes children’s wellbeing through its design.
To safeguard the youngest children, classrooms are elevated to a safe height, resembling a nest, and separated from densely populated areas. This dual approach—opening spaces for social interaction while enclosing areas for child safety—is essential in the building’s design. Separating classrooms from public floors also activates the building’s urban presence.
A straightforward volumetric strategy connects the porch with the play area. By freeing the flat space, pushing walls back, and supporting the upper volume on columns, the threshold is designed to facilitate the transition from the outdoor public area to the building’s communal lounge. This intermediary space has an appropriate scale to ensure comfort, block sunlight, and provide a welcoming reception for those picking up children.
“Only when emotions exist, can a child’s brain learn.” – Francisco Mora. Some architectural elements emphasize a casual atmosphere while imbuing the design with deep meaning. These concepts anchor the building firmly within its specific environment, where every aspect is embraced and integrated.
Opening the fence’s latch extends the threshold, creating a seamless connection to the terrace. The column, nicknamed “Friends’ Feet,” was repositioned to support the classroom volume, conveying stability and lightness simultaneously—much like a traditional stilt house. The building features a dynamic slope that animates the indoor play area, functioning as a walkway, staircase, tunnel, and integrated passage between houses. Independently positioned sunroof covers, painted blue for visibility, create ever-changing patterns and contours, enhancing the visual experience from surrounding areas and buildings.
The use of primary colors softens the starkness of the building’s exterior and stone materials. The courtyard at the edge functions as an extension of the classrooms, featuring an orchard and facing the street. A vertical louver made of prefabricated concrete serves as both a sunshade and a protective barrier against stray bullets in this area, which is often affected by gang violence.
Project Drawings
△ General Layout Plan
△ First Floor Plan
△ Second Floor Plan
△ Roof Plan
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
△ Analysis Chart
Project Information
Architect: Espacio Colectivo Arquitectos
Photographer: Santiago Robayo
Manufacturer: Hunter Douglas
Lead Architects: Aldo Marcelo Hurtado, Carlos Hernan Betancourt
Collaborators: Ángela Andrade M., Vanessa Toro Castaño, Josman Rojas Montes, Jessica Rojas Benavides, Julián Danilo Londoño, Emmanuel Viveros, Miguel Ángel Canaval, Juan Pablo González, Laura Urueña Serna, Sofia Zuluaga Ocampo, María Fernanda Soler, María Paula Martínez, German Rosero Ocaña, Jhonatan Alberto Cruz, Paola Daniela Bolaños, Edier Andrés Segura, Felipe Bessolo, Omar Velásquez
Support: Secretary of Education of Santiago de Cali
Location: Cali, Colombia
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