A few meters from its current headquarters in Granada, Red Cross decides to expand its facilities on the ground floor of a residential block at the end of the central boulevard of the city. The space was suitable for both purposes. On the one hand, it offered a generous surface area and height (5 metres) to fit the requested programme: multipurpose classroom for cultural and training activities, group work space, offices and service spaces. On the other hand, its strategic urban position and its triangular geometry, with three facades facing the public road, made it a very exposed place.
The proposal implements, in the irregularity of the plot, the requested uses maximizing the surface area of the common work space which runs parallel to the main north-facing façade. The offices are located on the south side, while the multipurpose room is built taking advantage of the depth of the boundary wall with the adjacent premises. The service uses (toilets and facilities) are attached to the dividing wall with the entrance to the housing block. This arrangement promotes maximum transparency and flexibility of the work space, both inside and outside, so that the divisions are resolved through the furniture: cupboards, lockers and lattices. If the enclosures inside do not reach the ceiling to allow the passage of light, on the outside the opening of the façade takes the possibilities of the original openings to the extreme. To intensify the inside-outside relationship, a continuous bench runs linearly along the north façade, between the street and the premises, thus “giving up” a public infrastructure for rest, a meeting place between the Red Cross and the city of Granada.
Red Cross on the street proposes a new way of understanding the relationship between the organization and society. Cardboard, recycled and recyclable, is introduced as a material capable of symbolizing the Red Cross's determined commitment to sustainable and environmentally conscious action. A single element, the tube or "mandrl" (in 10 and 20 cm formats) supports the proposal in combination with MDF (another recyclable material) to offer a raw and warm space at the same time.
Cardboard acts as a structural material, enclosure, lighting, false ceiling, light lattice, acoustic trap or filter for ventilation air (supply and return). Made with renewable, biodegradable raw materials, and highly recyclable (more than 25 times without loss of quality), the cardboard tubes are re-contextualised, displaced from their original industrial purpose to contribute to the circular economy of an interior design project thanks to an element with a future reuse of more than 90% of its components. The rest of the finishes (sprayed vermiculite, acoustic wood chip board, concrete, etc.) emphasize this decision.
Red Cross on the street builds a new model of workspace in contact with citizens. A sustainable, open and flexible model capable of making the day of the organization visible in the 21st century.
The Cardboard Office
Tomás García Píriz
Platinum

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Donald Strum
President
at Michael Graves Design
Beyond innovative, this is a unique...
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Designer
Client
Red Cross Granada
Floor area
450 ㎡
Completion
2024
Budget
320.000
Cardboard