More integration, more city

The MACASA center for unaccompanied foreign minors in the Spanish city of Valencia, composed of new construction in dialogue with the remains of the Macosa factory, forms part of a masterplan that reconnects two neighborhoods through a green corridor and revalues the city’s 20th century industrial heritage. More integration, more city.

The aim is for architecture to transform a temporary residence into a home. The main objectives are to foster a sense of belonging, close ties to the new community, and education and training. The project emphasizes public use over private use in a manner that favours connection to the neighborhood, including activity in the center itself and encouraging participation in the community; an appealing place where residency, learning, and leisure exist together, and where the children feel welcomed, integrated, and at home. The new structure separates semi-public uses on the ground floor from more private uses on the upper floors, where shared living spaces for six minors are located, with rooms which nevertheless respect the privacy of the inhabitants. The insertion of the project within its surroundings is based on two key design strategies. The first involves raising the existing natural surface to roof-level, creating more space for use while preserving the high vegetation. The second involves lowering the built environment of the project, bringing nature closer into view and creating a dividing line with the park and adjacent street through the use of ceramic walls which allow for the entry of vegetation and open access. Through this approach, the center has an outdoor space that is secluded but still public, with boundaries but without barriers. A central courtyard defines the new building with areas of use arranged on three sides. The main circulation functions as a cloister, with an exterior gallery on the ground floor. Finally, the structural system consists of three orders: the first with metal pillars, the second with concrete slabs for the floors, and the last with load-bearing ceramic walls, honouring the historic tradition of the Mediterranean. Energy efficiency is achieved by taking advantage of the storage capacity of the massive walls and a simple heating system. Additionally, the materials are exposed, without cladding (brick, wood, concrete), for lower maintenance along with greater durability and sustainability.