The modernised Veterinary Association of Pontevedra

The Desarrolla team has made this innovative project into a reality for the central offices of the Veterinary Association of Pontevedra, premises whose working spaces were designed to look like an ‘inside village’, translucent or transparent depending on your position, which showcases spaces with different scales and textures of materials in accordance with the diverse needs.

The design, signed by the architecture studio Santos & Mera in Pontevedra, took full advantage of the public green area located across from the premises, giving it continuity with the inside of the facilities, where the sloped roofs extend toward the walls and floor.

The materials combine glass and wood and continuous light-coloured flooring that make working inside the building very comfortable. The offices are located on the ground floor of a residential building in one of the Pontevedra’s districts currently undergoing a boom in expansion.

The design – a candidate for the Gran de Area 2019 architecture contest – prioritised users’ comfort and wellbeing, with spaces enclosed by a single natural material that wraps it and creates private, pure and welcoming spaces.

Inside the association’s new central offices executed by the Desarrolla team, priority was given to creating versatile spaces, which consist of a multipurpose hall, an administrative area, meeting room, an office for the president, a small laboratory, storerooms, toilets, lobby and corridors and connecting areas between the working areas and, in parallel, linking to the surrounding public space.

The objective was to create functional and, above all, versatile premises that can be easily transformed for a range of different uses. Thus, the entry lobby can be converted into a space for entertainment and gatherings, when needed. And this is also true of the multipurpose hall – the heart of the project – which can be used as a single space or divided to host several simultaneous activities.

All the wood used both for beams and panels is micro-laminated beech glued with phenolic resin, with sheets laid both lengthwise and crosswise depending on the element in question. The central layer of the panels is fir.