Museo Interactivo de Ciencia y Tecnología de Villavicencio- Arquitectura flexible para el desarrollo del conocimiento

Abstract

The Interactive Museum of Science and Technology of Villavicencio is conceived as an innovative educational facility aimed at promoting the dissemination of science and technology in the Eastern Plains region. It emerges in response to the absence of educational spaces dedicated to science and technology that foster experiential learning and interest in STEM fields, becoming a meeting point between education, technology, sustainability, and community. Within this framework, the project is guided by three specific objectives: to analyze architectural precedents of interactive museums in order to identify applicable flexibility strategies; to establish the programmatic, spatial, and functional criteria required for the museum’s design; and to develop a flexible and sustainable architectural proposal that responds to the educational and cultural needs of the local context.

The architectural proposal is grounded in flexible and adaptable design, allowing the transformation of spaces according to activities and user needs. This flexibility is articulated through strategies that promote the functional reconfiguration of the building, encouraging active participation and learning through experience. From this perspective, the project’s hypothesis is formulated: the application of architectural flexibility principles will strengthen scientific dissemination in Villavicencio by enabling immersive, dynamic, and adaptable learning experiences for diverse audiences and educational settings.

The project is developed using a qualitative methodology based on the projective model of Alfonso Muñoz Cosme, structured into conceptual, processing, and representational phases. Precedents such as Maloka, Parque Explora, and the Exploratorium are examined, from which strategies applicable to the local context are derived. Subsequently, the programmatic and functional criteria of the museum are defined, and the proposal is ultimately materialized through architectural modeling and representation.

The museum is located on a 5,940 m² block in proximity to educational and cultural facilities, contributing to the consolidation of an educational and cultural polygon that strengthens the city’s academic and scientific identity. The program includes flexible exhibition halls, laboratories, a children’s classroom, a digital cinema, and multifunctional spaces, integrating interactive technologies and bioclimatic strategies that reinforce the project’s commitment to sustainability.

Overall, the Interactive Museum of Science and Technology of Villavicencio is conceived as a dynamic and adaptable educational infrastructure oriented toward fostering exploration, creativity, and the appropriation of knowledge. Its disciplinary contribution lies in demonstrating how architectural flexibility can function as a structuring principle for cultural facilities, offering a model that integrates sustainability, technology, STEM education, and spatial adaptability as tools to strengthen the relationship between architecture and learning.