Construction begins on the BIOMA Center

On January 19, the University of Navarra will begin construction of the BIOMA Center, a building that will serve as a multidisciplinary space dedicated to Degreeteaching , research, especially that carried out by the BIOMA Institute of Biodiversity and Environment; and communication and knowledge dissemination science through the University of Navarra Science Museum. It will also house facilities such as the Innovation Factory Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. 

The Pamplona City Council has granted the licence the construction of the building, designed by architect Patxi Mangado, which will be located opposite the Cima the Acunsa building. It will be accessed from a 7,000-square-meter place . The project intended to serve as a link between the campus and the campus and Humanities campus Humanities the University of Navarra Museum. It also aims to be a viewpoint overlooking the campus reference letter entrance connection with the city. 

The BIOMA Center house the Institute of Biodiversity and Environment, where, together with companies and public institutions, we will address the major challenges facing our society today. The building is full of life professor, with research spaces, classrooms for our students, and also a bold proposal from the Science Museum, which will also be a great agora, a meeting place meeting citizens. All this has been possible thanks to the partnership many institutions, individuals, foundations, and companies that are accompanying us on this adventure, an adventure in the service of society," explained the president, María Iraburu.

The building has a surface area of 20,000 square meters distributed over five floors (two basements, leave floor, first floor, and second floor). Construcciones VDR is the business the construction contract, with a budget €45 million. Work is expected to begin next week and be completed within 28-30 months. 

New spaces for teaching research

professor, and exhibition space are distributed across virtually every floor of the building: 3,549 square meters are devoted to teaching; 3,452 square meters to research; and 4,439 square meters to the Science Museum. The remaining space is occupied by the restaurant area, with a surface area of 834 m², facilities, and general services. 

One of the objectives of this project to expand the spaces available for professor research activities carried out in the Schools Science, Pharmacy and Nutrition, Nursing, and Medicine, which currently have a total of 3,361 Degree students Degree 37.77% of the University's total student body), 202 Master's Degree students Master's Degree 340 doctorate students doctorate 649 professionals, including professors, researchers, and staff and service staff .  

There will be 14 classrooms with a capacity of between 50 and 180 people and six teaching laboratories, plus seven seminar rooms for seven to ten people. Six Degrees two double Degrees are planned to be taught Degrees the Schools Science and Pharmacy and Nutrition. Facilities have also been designed for the Office of the Dean the School Science, offices, meeting rooms, and work areas. 

In terms of research activity, the building will house the Biodiversity and Environment Institute , which comprises more than 108 people, including researchers from different Schools centers, professors, and staff and service staff . The mission statement Biodiversity and Environment Institute to conduct reference letter research reference letter its field, promoting innovation and partnership professionals from different disciplines and fostering meeting the University, businesses, and public administration find solutions to common challenges in the field of sustainability. It currently has 28 research projects research 5 European, 13 national, and 10 regional), 5 contracts (3 national and 2 regional), and 3 Chairs 2 national and 1 regional), with funding of €10,385,488 granted as of December 10, 2025.  

The new space will have 12 research laboratories, 4 work seminars work other services for the activity, such as freezers, growing chambers, greenhouses, spaces for sample preparation, etc. Several offices and meeting rooms are also planned. 

Spaces for innovation and knowledge dissemination science

There are two areas that particularly stand out in the design : the agora or atrium, a place that will divide the interior spaces, and the geode or "gem, " which will house the Science Museum's exhibition area on different floors. 

The teaching spaces, laboratories, research facilities are organized around the agora research houses the University's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, Innovation Factory, and a meeting point for students. In addition to these uses, the building will have a chapel, located on the leave floor. 

From the agora, you can see the current access road to area and Humanities area , which passes by the Shrine of Our Lady of Fair Love , which can also be seen from inside the new building. 

As highlighted in the report, the most unique space in project the piece that, like a "gem" excavated from the landscape, a geode, contains the most important exhibits of the Science Museum. Since 1998, it has exhibited, among other things, the collection of the high school in the Hexagon Building has more than one million museum records of animals (invertebrates, arthropods, mollusks, fish, birds, reptiles, mammals...), plants, fossils, and minerals, belonging to more than ten thousand species. 

The museum organizes knowledge dissemination activities knowledge dissemination #LabMeCrazy! Science Film Festival, camps for children, Education sessions, exhibitions, and talks. In total, more than 11,000 people participated in its initiatives during the last academic year. 

The geode is completed with an auditorium capacity for 129 people; a shop, museum offices, educational areas and workshops mainly aimed at schoolchildren, as well as storage spaces, workshops and a area . 

The variety of activities and users in a building has posed a challenge from an architectural point of view. "The goal to provide different answers that seemed like one. Spatially, there is a very powerful part that is the architectural gem, but then there are also other spaces as befits an academic and researchbuilding, researchsaid architect Patxi Mangado. The BIOMA Center work and teaching groups of students. "A professor has to do research his office, and at the same time, it has to be possible attendance high school students high school come and see the exhibitions... Let's say that from an knowledge point of view, there are three buildings, and from an architectural synthesis point of view, there is one," he said. 

Energy efficiency and exterior

The building is expected to contribute to the environment by producing energy in a sustainable manner and having nearly zero energy consumption(NZEB), seeking to harmonize the employment natural resources and contribute to the sustainability of the planet. 

The planned strategy is based on the construction of a highly efficient thermal envelope that limits the building's energy needs and the employment renewable energies such as solar (photovoltaic panels) and air energy through high-efficiency aerothermal equipment. 
The building's general lighting will be designed using LED technology and a control system using presence detectors and natural light intensity in the different spaces, where savings compared to ordinary consumption are estimated at 50%.

The BIOMA Center maximum integration with the campus its surroundings. For this reason, the facades will be composed of green slate slabs, combined with wood, glass, and aluminum. 

Fundraising and donations

project BIOMA Center project BIOMA Center financed thanks to donations made to the University of Navarra by companies, institutions, and individuals. To date, donations have reached 25.9 million (19.5 million signed and 6.4 million committed).

Among the companies that have contributed to this funding are: the Spanish Government, the Government of Navarre, Atlantic Copper, AWWG, Koral, Balearia, Campus , Corporación Hijos de Rivera, Cosentino, Elecnor, Endesa, Fundación "la Caixa," Fundación Ramón Areces, Loro Parque Foundation, Sesé group , group , group , Laboral Kutxa, RNB Laboratories, Mascato, Molins, Telefónica, and Torreal. 

In addition, the following organizations support and collaborate with the activities of the University of Navarra Science Museum: ACUNSA Health Insurance, FECYT Innovation, Caja Navarra Foundation, LILLY Foundation, SACYR Foundation, and Laboral Kutxa. 

And they support the research the Institute of Biodiversity and Environment: Sanitas Foundation and Campus .