Office Building | Humberto Conde

The Office Building for the Technical Services of SMAS, takes advantage of the high position of the site which has a great view to the valley. The proposal develops on a big “Green Square” on which sits the volume with a Garden Rooftop.

This building is located on the northern side of the square, and turns itself to the south, freeing area for the exterior space and creating resting points connected with the surrounding views. The Green Platform solves not only the program issues above the entrance floor but also enables, by the sloping terrain, an independent access to the warehouse and workshops on the underground level. As a “Green” base, it needs water in order to survive, and its reutilization allows the continuity of its lifetime. This water use as a sustainable part of the life cycle of the building, achieved by the garden rooftop and its recycling for wash and irrigation purposes, constitute actually the key element of the proposal. The building is like a “vase” with vegetation which need constantly water to live.

The Water is the indispensable element to this “organism” life, and that is also expressed on its outer skin. The transparency and reflection effects of the water are materialized by its circular drilling of variable dimensions according to the needs of light, while creating at the same time a dynamic effect across the building. This ventilated facade allows the air circulation between the skin and the outer walls creating a natural ventilation system. On the rooftop, the Garden not only enables the compensation of the of green spaces which became constructed but also works as a decompression area for the employees, working as a belvedere above the valley where it is placed.