Biocruces Institute

Spain

The new headquarters of the BioCruces Institute is a new-build building destined to house the research areas and animal facilities.

Housing research areas and animal facilities

The programme is distributed over 8 floors, 3 of which are basements. Above ground level, the floorplan is divided into two blocks of laboratories separated by a block of common areas on the East elevation and the communications core on the West façade.

Being a building for laboratories, a building of great flexibility was considered so that it could adapt to changes. A key aspect was the engineering behind the building services which have a repercussion and complexity far greater than those of a normal laboratory.

The construction of the building was conditioned by a very tight and complex plot. Hence, the building is stretched to the very limits of the regulations, leaving very little distance between the neighbouring buildings.

Without the possibility of volumetric variations, the exterior design focused on the formalisation of a dense weave of slats that would offer protection from direct sunlight and sightlines from neighbouring buildings. Only in singular areas like vestibules or resting areas were big windows included that would prove its character. The building’s image was reinforced by the colour white, contrasting with that of the environment.

Interior spaces follow the façade’s storyline, with light colours that fill the building and generate well illuminated working areas. This contrasts with the use of wood in areas of greater representativeness and warmth. Occasionally, colour was used to offer relevant information to users.

Architecture : Health : Mixed Use