The project investigates the reinterpretation of Spanish Colonial architecture in the context of an indigenous society called the Muisca. The building establishes a permanent home for the Muisca cabildo (town council) in Bogotá, Colombia. It seeks to introduce a main library space, office spaces for the town council, as well a public Muisca garden. Initial inspiration for this project came from the Spanish roof tile. An aim of the project was to explore how adding another function to the tile other than that of rain screening changed its form, function and character. This led to a proposal for several new tile designs, which became the design drivers for the cabildo.

The site is located in northern Bogotá in the locality of Suba, on the north western corner of Suba Central Square. The urban planning device of the ‘square’ has become a symbol of Spanish colonialism. It is a physical representation of the imposed ‘order’ brought to Colombia by the Spanish Conquistadors. Plaza Mayor was the first square to be established in what is now Bogotá, the format of which followed the classic urban model of colonial towns.