Through a transformation of the space into a street and public space, the OOOA Arquitectos studio has designed the reform in the urbanization of the Polytechnic School Algeciras Campus of the University of Cádiz, known as the center and heart of the educational conglomerate.

The project has aimed to intervene in the building fabric of more than 16,500 m² of the Algeciras Campus, inserted in the urban fabric to transform the university into a facility open to the city, enabling interaction with the outside and causing situations that try to generate innovation.
The project by OOOA Arquitectos arises from the idea of transforming the proposed space into a street. For this reason, it was decided to design a covering that, in addition to adapting traditional examples of solar protection, gives the open spaces a new character.

The result obtained thanks to the stitching of the facades through structural aluminum cable-stayed beams allows the carriages of the mobile pergolas to move. The materiality of the proposal is uniform, which facilitates the integration of the intervention with the pre-existence.
 

Description of project by OOOA Arquitectos

The buildings that make up the current Higher Polytechnic School of Engineering of Algeciras form a building complex of more than 16,500 m² of teaching surface inserted in the urban grid, this being the center and heart of the Algeciras Campus of the University of Cádiz. It was an area completely closed to the city by the thick vegetation of its "walls", which once crossed, showed spaces more typical of an already outdated residential development architecture than of a teaching building endowed with great activity.

To reverse this situation, it is first proposed that the University should be a facility open to the city, enabling interaction with the outside world and provoking situations that try to generate innovation, just as the most advanced models of universities are now being organized European. From this intention, the idea arises of transforming the space that is proposed to us into a street, a finished public space endowed with its characteristic activity (terraces, squares, gardens, outdoor work areas, etc.).

This new street is aware of its geographical location, and adapts traditional examples of solar protection of these latitudes, giving it a new scale, but also giving the open spaces a new character that expresses the vocation of the center and its relationship with the industrial and port environments nearby. Thus, we have resorted to a covering, stitching the facades employing structural aluminum cable-stayed beams on which the carriages of the mobile pergolas move, which can be configured by the users of the center.

The materiality of the proposal has been sensitive to the needs of this University, proposing quality materials, low maintenance and high durability. Outside, using coatings such as flooring and prefabricated concrete furniture, it is provided with a material uniformity that facilitates the integration of the intervention with the existing. There has been a sensitive response in outdoor spaces to the environmental aspect, considering the filtering function of rainwater from the outdoor pavement to be important, as well as providing means so that in a short period of time the vegetation becomes the protagonist of the space again. The solar protection of the spaces, also configurable by moving the slat carriages, is another aspect of passive environmental strategies.

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Architects
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Design team
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Tomás Osborne Ruiz, José Carlos Oliva Garrido.
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Collaborators
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Construction Managers.- Tomás Osborne Ruiz, José Carlos Oliva Garrido. Technical Architect.- Manuel Ballester Diana.
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Builder
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Developer
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Location
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Algeciras Campus of the University of Cadiz, Spain.
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Photography
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The OOOA studio, formed by Tomás Osborne (El Puerto de Santa María, 1980) and José Carlos Oliva (Plasencia, 1979), both architects by the School of Architecture of Seville, was established in 2014, mainly dedicated to the drafting of projects for public administrations through tenders. During the last years, they have carried out several projects in Vietnam, whose works have been recognized with publications and mentions in awards. They have been awarded, through public tender, the reform in the Urbanization of the Higher Polytechnic School of the Algeciras Campus, the remodeling of the Authorities Tower of the Jerez Circuit (first prize in ideas competition), the Library of the Algeciras Bay Campus of the University of Cadiz, and recently the extension and reform of the Social Services Building in Sanlucar de Barrameda, as well as two educational centers in the province of Almeria.

His built work has been highlighted with different recognitions, such as the Andalucía de Arquitectura Award for new construction work in 2022 given by the Consejería de Fomento de la Junta de Andalucía, mention to the best new construction work in the 9th Sánchez Esteve Awards 2020-2021 of the Colegio de Arquitectos de Cádiz, Accésit to the international work 2019-2020 in the COAS Awards of the College of Architects of Seville, Torres Clavé Award in its 8th Edition 2018-2019, of the College of Architects of Cadiz, Award to the national work 2017-2018 in the COAS Awards and Sánchez Esteve Award in its 7th Edition 2016-2017.
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Published on: January 26, 2022
Cite: "Educational facility open to the city. Algeciras Polytechnic School renovation by OOOA Arquitectos" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/educational-facility-open-city-algeciras-polytechnic-school-renovation-oooa-arquitectos> ISSN 1139-6415
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