A few meters from its current headquarters in Granada, Red Cross decided to expand its facilities on the ground floor of a residential block, at the end of the centrally located Paseo del Salón. The decision addressed two needs: a regrouping of all the institution’s teams, which were scattered throughout the city, and greater visibility for the institution in the everyday life of citizens.

With a surface area of 450 square meters, on an irregular plot, the scheme provided the requested uses: a multipurpose classroom for cultural and training activities, space for group work, offices, and service spaces. On the other hand, the strategic urban position and its triangular geometry, with three facades facing the public road, made the building a very conspicuous place.

The flexible work space is broken up by furniture: cupboards, lockers, and lattices. Inside, to allow the passage of light, the enclosures do not reach the ceiling: outside, the openness of the facade takes the possibilities of the original openings to an extreme. To intensify the inside-outside relationship, a continuous bench runs linearly along the north facade, between the street and the premises, creating a meeting place between the Red Cross and the city of Granada.

Cardboard, recycled and recyclable, is introduced as a material capable of representing the Red Cross’s firm commitment to taking actions with environmental awareness and sustainability in mind. A single element, the tube or ‘mandrel’ (in 10- and 20-centimeter formats), supports the scheme, in combination with MDF. Cardboard serves as structural material, enclosure, false ceiling, lattice, acoustic trap, and ventilation filter. The rest of the finishes (projected vermiculite, acoustic board made of wood chips, concrete, etc.) emphasizes this.

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