The new CTAV headquarters in Gandía is located in an indeterminate location, on the cusp between the old quarters of Benipeixcar and a featureless new area of expansion. The mandate for the new headquarters is to function as a place enabling all the permits and requirements demanded by the College of Architects and, above all, as an inviting meeting place for professional encounters and discussions. The project takes the emplacement and transforms it into a transitional space between the two areas of the town, consolidating its location while respecting the vibrant, smaller scale so characteristic of the old neighbourhood. Conceived from an optic of dematerialisation and ambiguity, the building minimises its own presence. The single volume is given shape by a glass envelope which in turn is fragmented into other volumes such as the voids of the two courtyards in the upper floor or the different wooden planes of the façade. The structural system is integrated into the other building systems with a view to reducing the tectonic elements. As a consequence, metal porches are transformed into repeated ribs forming diffuse, supporting planes of a frame covered with glass and wooden panels.

client : CTAV (college of architects of valencia)
head architects : marta orts – carlos trullenque
assistant architects : carlos nieto, ana ábalos, nacho fós
structural engineering : javier cases, architect
building technician : vicente sevila
services engineering : GIA (luis sanchis – agustí vila)
contractor : OTP construcciones
photography : diego opazo