Straddling the equator at an 'ecological crossroads' in central Africa, where three bio-geographic regions intersect, the Virunga National Park supports an exceptional diversity of habitat types. Sitting at the base of the Virunga Mountains, the campus serves as a test for the Rwandan government's plan to expand the park's boundary by 1 km along its entire border to invest in the richness of this biodiversity, as well as to reduce the overlap between human and gorilla territories.

The design transforms an agricultural plot overgrown with invasive Eucalyptus trees into a reforested landscape that supports four native ecologies found in the park: mixed Afromontane forest, Arundinaria bamboo forest, Hagenia-Hypericum forest, and Afromontane meadow. In a country with no commercial plant nurseries, the over 250,000 native plants for the campus were collected, propagated, and planted from key ecological zones.

The campus employs sustainable design via green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and a constructed wetland. The wetland facilitates on-site wastewater treatment, utilizing native species and materials. The pavers across the campus, sourced from local volcanic stone, create permeable areas to control stormwater on-site and guide pedestrian circulation.