The building’s architecture seeks to integrate the culture, landscape, construction techniques, and materials of the area, reinterpreting the forms and constructive logic of vernacular architecture from a contemporary perspective.
The appropriate site was chosen so as not to fell any trees, resulting in a linear building developed along a wall that runs alongside the access road and is stepped to adapt to the steep slope of the terrain. This wall—one of many large enclosure walls seen throughout the area—is built with local stone masonry (quartzite), serving as the defining and unifying element of the various spaces designed.
Mostly natural, recycled, or recyclable materials were used without exceeding the budget available for construction, in an effort to approach “zero maintenance,” while respecting the program of requirements defined by the center’s managers, which included very precise specifications.
Although climate variations between the different seasons are quite pronounced and can therefore generate opposing construction criteria, we believe that better environmental performance can be achieved through the various basic passive systems incorporated into the design: the building closes itself off from the harsh northern climate and opens up to the warmth of the south and its views over the landscape, with unwanted solar radiation controlled by means of overhangs.