Architects:Niro Arquitectura, OAU | Oficina de Arquitectura y Urbanismo

Designers : Jheny Nieto Ropero, Rodrigo Chain Rodríguez

Collaborators : Santiago Bonnet, Diego Vásquez, Jorge Ávila

Structural Engineer : Luis Fernández

Client : Secretaría de Integración Social

The Day Center located on street 20 de Julio is a project exclusively designed for the recreation and entertainment of the elderly, taking into account their needs, tastes, and interests. It is for this reason that it is built on a single floor, avoiding the vertical displacement of the senior users of the space.

Vegetation Aquariums. The architecture is rendered around a mass of existing trees, trying to preserve as many of them as possible, thus forming three central courtyards and an environment with tall trees. In the lower part of the lot is the Contemplation Courtyard, which has a green area and a floating platform that provides space for a direct relationship with the dining room and the gym. The Central Access Courtyard or Purification Courtyard is located in the central part, taking advantage of the existing Chinese jasmines that are representative of the place. It also has ferns, agaves, palmtrees and platanillos.This courtyard is in the heart of the project surrounded by glass on all four sides with diverse vegetation. The Purification Courtyard is perceived as a kind of "vegetation capsule" visible from the most important spaces of the project and can be entered to enjoy a moment of tranquility. The Stage Courtyard is proposed in the highest area of ​​the lot, with a direct relationship to the existing park. Due to its location and topographical conditions, the Stage Courtyard has the possibility of opening onto the park, making the Multipurpose Room a community stage where events, presentations, and countless community activities can be held.

Structure and Sustainability. Being submerged in a forest, the Day Center aims to merge the building with the site and with all the trees surrounding it. This sensation is achieved through a structure of very slender metallic elements that support a concrete cover covered with vegetation. Glass facades surround the project in order to give a sense of security. The existing vegetation is diverse; there are ash trees, Chinese jasmine, lupins, hollies, cherry trees, rubber trees, and elder trees. The community has received the project grateful for a high-quality space and for being an oasis in the neighborhood.

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