The project for the TACAL Foundation is a social and urban revitalization operation

located in the comuna of Independencia in Santiago, Chile. The new building houses

The TACAL institution, which provides job training for people living with physical and/or

mental disabilities, combining technical precision and knowledge with social

responsibility.

The building is inserted into the city as a contribution to the public space, helping to

activate a deteriorating neighborhood.

Two buildings are proposed—two cubic volumes facing each other with Maruri Street in

between, and connected by a bridge elevated over the public street, which allows the

joint and safe use of the entire complex and the required universal accessibility. As in

several of our works where we try to integrate sculptures, on this occasion we invited

Francisco Gazitúa, a great Chilean artist (with experience in urban sculptures in various

cities around the world), to design a bridge—an architectural sculpture that would

connect both buildings, becoming an emblematic element and a reference point for

the neighborhood in this northwestern sector of Santiago near the Mapocho River.

Both buildings respect the continuous facades of the neighborhood, freeing an interior

courtyard system that provides natural light and ventilation, and enabling large spaces

for training workshops. The incorporation of these courtyards favors cross ventilation,

improving interior comfort and reducing the need for artificial climate control, and they

serve as orientation and gathering points—calm, safe, introverted spaces in a

neighborhood that in recent years has become a risky place. These intermediate

spaces have become places that allow exchange and interaction between students,

teachers, and workshop visitors. This strategy optimizes the use of natural resources and

creates healthy and efficient environments.

The main intention of the project was to achieve spatial freedom and fluidity for the

development of the various activities carried out there. The offices are composed of

modular partition systems that can be modified over time, allowing programmatic and

spatial evolution according to the needs of the moment.

On the third level, terraces (the fifth façade) were designed to overlook the light

courtyards, controlling the western sun through lattice screens. The street façades are

neutral and wall-like, semi-closed, incorporating selective openings to allow the entry of

light, thus reinforcing the idea of a bright interior in contrast to the sobriety of the

exterior facing the street.

The program was articulated directly with the users and their needs, responding to the

challenge of designing an inclusive building that invites interaction, providing training

workshops on all levels, fostering a common learning space and reinforcing the sense ofan educational community. The architecture assumes an essential role in its urban

context, becoming a tool to promote inclusion, strengthen the social fabric, and

improve the quality of life in the city.

Gonzalo Mardones V. Architects