MEDIOMUNDO arquitectos believe in the development of an intelligent architecture: one that stimulates and integrates the broad values and technological and cultural conditions of the place where it belongs. As architects working in innovation, they fled the standard to travel between the logic of creative production and industrial production. They consider integration very important, equally, cultural value, work and modes of local creative production are always necessary to avoid industrialization and standardization. M.Pelegrin+F.Pérez understand sustainability applied to the design and realization of architecture as the effective management of tangible and intangible resources. They believe in a "strong sustainability" that which does not repair only physical and environmental aspects, but in the understanding of the environment as a complex system between variables, physical, energetic and socioeconomic.
The organization for the new Health Sciences Campus of the International Competition in Granada (2006-2007),of which prize results at the commissioned of the Faculty of Health Sciences and determines the overall volumetric building of 130m long and 19m wide, allowing 10 floors and 3 floors west to east, in a dense extension southward along the Campus Technology and University Hospital. Our project aimed to convert this ‘determinism’ into a positive variable and ‘tighten’ these parametres to allow the volume to provide both public and related spaces where possible. The creation of sort of ‘city halls’ that accesses on both ends saves 4m of space. The east access from the general service area of the campus, is locaded under the auditorium, under a large white cloth concrete (12x12m2) that supports the significant stands of the teaching space. The classrooms are arranged along the building sequencing double height spaces, patios and skylights. Under the tower space, is located the west access, that connects offices specialized classrooms with teachers and researchers, administration and Deanery.
We propose a building of simple and immediate materiality, where the concrete (white and textured) is visible on the elevations, the floor (continuous Terraces similar dosage polished) and the interior. The inner linings towards the leisure spaces are coated with black steel plate and epoxy paint on stairs and circulation spaces. The Faculty of Health Sciences is the result of MEDIOMUNDO’s Design Traceability research, an innovative method that critically assist design decision-making process, addressing the issue of ‘human actors’ within architecture production.
The on-going investigation develops via survey and analysis, of multiple parameters regarding the design-construction process; such as working stakeholders, particular skills, geographical information, and time. Laborious accounts of the project’s environmental impact allow choices to be made, in attempt to integrate where possible, local actors and knowledge. A new and comprehensive understanding for ‘health’ is achieved; such as defined by the World Health Organisation: “a state of complete physical, mental and social welfare, and the state of adaptation of an individual to the place where it is in harmony with the environment”.
