New Offices of COIAA

Taking advantage of a change of location of the headquarters of the Institution of Agricultural engineers of Andalucia, and attempting to reverse the growing trend of distancing of professionals from their professional institutions, it was proposed to create an space that will promote a more modern and functional image and that would make it more attractive to new generations of engineers.

In the intervention proposal, the available space is distributed in a way that favors the interrelation between the different functional areas, as demanded by the proposed program. Hence, in accordance to the condition of its nature, the space was grouped into three differentiated zones: public, control and restricted areas. This arrangement was carried out in the best way that allowed the singularities of the premises, both for its convoluted shape in plan, and for the distribution of pillars and gaps in the façade.

To be able to meet all the evacuation requirements for maximum distances the only access available to the headquarters was placed at the center of gravity of the façade facing the Juan Pablo II Avenue. Once in the main hall, which has a public functionality, you can access the plenary room frontally, planned as a diaphanous space that can be transformed into separate training rooms by means of a mobile wall.

As an extension of the vestibule, is the general restrooms area, after that the office, and the cleaning room are located. From the main lobby itself, there is direct access, through double glazed door, to the open office area where service is provided to the members. Its location, with respect to the lobby, allows this area to remain closed while the remainder of the venue continues to be used.

The big open room space has six work stations, and connects with the two areas of restricted use. These areas consist in one side, through a large sliding door, the office wing of the dean, the auditor, and a meeting room, and on the other with the archive area.

Being at street level, intended with a non-commercial use, and with large gaps in the façade, we were concerned about the lack of privacy that these gaps could produce in the activities to be developed inside, and how, in reverse, the external activity could be a reason for constant distraction for the users of the headquarters.

In order to better balance this in-out relationship, the pre-existing gaps were reduced in height. This re-marking of the holes is done in such a way that the whole adapts to the depth of the façade pillars, leaving a strip as an accessible corridor between the interior front, where the carpentry is located, and the exterior front, where i a latticework of corrugated perforated sheet metal is placed.

In the aforementioned area, that is between the carpentry and the corrugated sheet, there is a series of planters with natural plants equipped with a timed irrigation network. In two points of the façade, these green bands clearly visible from the inside and from the outside, are transformed into separate vertical gardens of small format.

- Ubicación/location: Avda. Juan Pablo II. Sevilla. España/Seville. Spain

- Fecha del Proyecto/proyect date: Noviembre/November 2017
- Fecha Fin de obra/work date: Octubre/October 2018
- Proyecto/project authors: Javier Arroyo Yanes, Miguel Bretones del Pozo y M. Ángel de la Cova
- Arq. Colaboradores/assistand arch.: A. Barbadillo
- Aparejador/quantity surveyor: ---
- Otros colab./other contributors: Rocío Meier Pantoja (presupuesto/quantity surveyor)
- Promotor/client: Colegio Oficial de Ingenieros Agrónomos de Andalucía/COIAA
- Constructora/builder: DBD consultoría técncia S.L.
- PEM/budget: 458.150,00 euros
- Superficie construida/size: 444 m²
- Superficie del solar/plot size: --- m²
- Usos contemplados/uses: Oficinas/offices y servicios comunes/common facilities).