Ferrer Arquitectos: Health Center

Spanish practice ferrer arquitectos has designed the ‘north mediterranean health center’ in almería, spain. a facade of maneuverable  marble slats introduce a diffused natural daylight as needed to perform activities, reducing the energy consumption of the building. A monolithic block of prefabricated concrete supports the rectilinear volume. as the louvered panels are opened, light emanates from the interior, visually lightening and breaking down the white mass. glass-enclosed courtyards are placed within the internal configuration to introduce daylight and ventilation into the rooms.

On the ground floor is the main entry, reception and administration along with adult and pediatric clinics and minor surgery units. The first level contains health education functions, staff and support services. the double skin allows an optimal lighting conditions for the task at hand.

ferrer arquitectos: north mediterranean health center

project info:
project: north mediterranean health center.
location: mediterráneo avenue, almería (spain)
developer: andalusian government
external collaborators: laboratorio icc.
contractor: construcciones tejera
built area: 1.352,38 m2
photographer: david frutos
project type: health center
client: andalusian government
company / firm name: project designed by ferrer arquitectos
certified by aenor in quality management, enviromental management and occupational health and safety management (iso 9001 – iso 14001 and ohsas 18001)
member of the advisory council of breeam spain.
design team: josé ángel ferrer (group leader architect), javier de simón, antonio palenzuela, manuel alonso

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Casa Curato by Hernandez Silva Arquitectos

Hernandez Silva Arquitectos have completed the Casa Curato in Zapopan, Mexico.
Description from the architects
The irregular shaped land is located in a small gated community on the west city limits. It is a very quiet place, where neighbors are bound to have a good urban context: calm, surrounded by trees and car free as possible.
The clients, old friends, ask us to develop a comfortable, practical and pleasant house, which forced us to be very rigorous with spaces, circulations and the functional proposal of the house.
The location of the house uses both side boundaries, leaving two entries at the front, one for cars on the semi-basement with angled doors which creates a platform for pedestrian entry. These two boundaries gave the emplacement the form of a “boomerang”, which could increase the scope of the relationship between the house and the garden at the back.

The formal concept began with a big bended volume that arises from a powerful wall covered by gray stone which shelters the house, and also floats upon a craft wall made from black limestone strips. The second floor seems to float and generates a cantilever that protects the visitor.
The room distribution is simple: garage and service in the semi-basement, day-living on ground floor which is connected to the night-living through a great void at the main entrance with the vertical circulation.
As the visitor enters the house, is greeted by an interior double-height patio, where a 6m tree is contained to generate a very quiet atmosphere. Behind the tree lies the only staircase that connects the three levels and absorbs the angles generated by the “V” shaped volumes.
A lattice was placed at the front to minimize the east-west land orientation, which allows a relationship to the wooden alley and also gives privacy inside.
 

Interior spaces are almost exempt from walls; the living and dining merge together in a large space that is fully open to the outside with windows that are hidden and communicate both the garden and the terrace.
This terrace is located in an intermediate point between the kitchen and the day-living area, but it seems to extend to the back of the garden to have a direct relationship whit the use of the pool.
To the west, we have balanced the strong afternoon sun with generous cantilevers and placing a dramatic wall which receives a lower covering at the terrace, nullifying the west direct sunlight.
In the second level, everything is connected through a clear corridor, where you can find the different rooms. The family room extends from the main entrance patio.
The house was built with simple materials: plastered walls, white steel, coated aluminum, San Andrés gray stone, black América limestone strips, walnut wood and tempered glass. Bathroom and service areas were covered with porcelain and glass tiles.  Some exposed concrete walls were incorporated to strengthen the volumes. High-gloss lacquered walls were used to add depth and liveliness to the house; also we placed skylights in several places to allow natural light inside.

Architecture: Hernandez Silva Arquitectos

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Z House by nred arquitectos

Z House, by nred arquitectos, is a residence located in Gran Canaria, Spain, a structure most notable for its two-terrace configuration. The design was necessitated by the site’s slope and topography, a plot also characterized by dense vegetation and interspersed with small gardens. Theoretically, the house’s plan is infinite, its structures based on free composition and varying heights determined by the land’s contours, rising and falling like a waterfall. Its construction, meanwhile, is comprised of concrete, glass and wood, while the residence’s interior is defined by tubular spaces, lit only at one end and providing a more linear complement to its folding design.

View more: Architecture - Source: ArchDaily

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