The site selected is steep and densely wooded, carved into a series of narrow ridges and deep ravines by the heavy rainfall of the subtropical climate. The environmental impact assessment showed that the valleys and small streams they shelter constitute a valuable ecosystem with rare flora and fauna which should be preserved at all cost. Construction could therefore only take place on the ridges.

This condition, and the 30m vertical difference between the entrance to the site and the only practical location for the main campus higher up the hillside, provided a challenge to the architects. However, it also offered the opportunity to develop a university campus of unusual character which would fit naturally into the landform of the site.

The flora and fauna native to the site were carefully relocated to minimize the impact of construction.