Mexico’s University of Guadalajara has broken ground on its new MX$1bn (US$55.9m, €50.4m, £39.6m) Museo de Ciencias Ambientales (MCA), a national institution exploring the future sustainability of the region and its relationship with the metropolitan city of Guadalajara.

Designed by Snøhetta, with interior design on six galleries by MET Studio, the 20,000sq m (215,000sq ft) museum will sit at the heart of a cultural district next to the main University campus, acting as a link between its new library and auditorium buildings. The 700,000sq m (173 acre) cultural district, known as Centro Cultural Universitario, sits between the main campus and what will eventually include a wilderness preserve for Guadalajara.

According to Snøhetta, the design “marries traditional methods of Spanish colonial planning with the natural phenomena found in the sunken pools and ravines of Jalisco”. Landscape is an important part of the plan, with large open air courtyards and gardens encouraging natural light in the museum space.

The design features a central campus core with smaller, less urban conditions connecting the ecosystems, which familiarises visitors to the museum with natural phenomena presented in the galleries. Offering views of the Jalisco region, the roof of the museum will also be accessible, with a restaurant and aviary drawing visitors upwards.

The project is due for completion by early 2018 and will be developed over four stages, with financing split 70/30 between federal and state funding. Once complete, visitor numbers have been predicted at 500,000 people annually.