Discover
We arrived at the premises, on the first floor of a building, constructed in 2003, consisting of commercial spaces and housing, located very close to public transportation, the city center, and urban green spaces. It consists of two rectangular volumes connected by a vertical communication core, and features large light entries and outdoor spaces.
In addition to detecting the spatial conditions of this new location, it was also necessary to identify the needs of the cooperative through collective work, adapting the dynamics and participation tools of the cooperative (follow-up committee, steering group, and open participation tools for the entire community) through:
Define
Following the participatory process, we define the shortcomings and virtues of their current workspace in order to improve their future space. We observe that both workers and users value the central location, the possibility of connection with public transportation, the pleasant decoration, and the quantity and quality of children’s materials.
On the other hand, we find that the existing space has accessibility issues, distribution problems along the hallway, the waiting room gathers too many people, the therapy rooms are generally small, and the environmental conditions (climate control, natural light, ventilation or air renewal, and acoustic insulation) need improvement.
Looking more specifically, we see that in the professional room, productive, reproductive, and individual activities converge in an increasingly smaller space due to the need to create more therapy rooms. Despite good coexistence among the workers, there is a general feeling of discomfort and lack of differentiated spaces, as well as the need for a rest area and an exterior space. Working, eating, using the bathroom, socializing, and resting are activities incompatible with optimal conditions in the same space. Additionally, the increase in therapy rooms has led to the convergence of pathways and activities with significant privacy differences.
Build
The overall layout of the new space takes into account the segregation of public and private areas. The intervention focuses on the first floor, where the two premises, occupying the entire floor, operate as a single unit. We arrive at a room with the capacity to accommodate approximately 15 people, with access to a nearby bathroom. The reception area is designed to enhance the comfort of the workers. There are two cooperative work rooms of different sizes to facilitate management. In total, there are 17 therapy rooms: 3 large rooms of 20-30 m², 2 medium-sized rooms of 15-20 m², and 12 small rooms of at least 7-12 m²; with storage capacity inside.
Both premises are arranged in a fishbone layout, with a central distributor corridor providing access to the various therapy rooms and services. At the end of the corridor are the cooperative’s private spaces, well oriented to the south. All therapy rooms have direct natural light from the east or west, and in the case of one physiotherapy room, indirect light through the common space.
The key points of the proposal have been:
Touch
A partitioning system has been proposed that, although light and easy to install and dismantle, meets the necessary insulation requirements. As a final coating layer, both walls and ceilings are replaced with a cellulose fiber panel, which has an irregular surface that improves sound reverberation in the rooms. A 1.05m wooden handrail is also added, which, combined with the flooring and fixed furniture of the same material, creates a working surface designed to establish a relationship of safety and trust with the child.
See
In circulation and internal workspaces, no suspended ceiling is added to maintain the maximum height of the premises. However, the ceiling is insulated with cork panels directly glued to the slab and painted white. The installations are left visible in these areas, and the original terrazzo flooring is maintained in good condition. The distributor corridors have indirect natural lighting through the therapy rooms. This treatment aims to provide a certain contrast between the therapy rooms and the common spaces, helping the children feel in a cozy and familiar environment when they enter the therapy rooms.
Store
The project, following the cooperative’s requirements, incorporates a significant amount of storage distributed across the different rooms, solved with wooden furniture that also acts as a privacy divider. The small and medium therapy rooms have a low cabinet incorporated into the interior carpentry of access, matching the height of the handrail that runs along the room. The large therapy rooms incorporate a three-meter-high storage cabinet.
Protect
The exterior shell remains unchanged. As solar protection, textile solar protections are installed on the exterior facade facing south, which currently lacks any overhang or other solar protection device.