The plot of the student residence has a strategic location because it is close to CEU Cardenal Herrera University in Valencia.

 

The surrounding urban context is highly confusing, with buildings of different heights that are notable for their poor-quality architecture. In addition, the plot only has one, west-facing façade, the least favourable building orientation for the Valencian climate. These two conditioning factors presented a big challenge when designing the building.

 

The Student residence project took this starting point into account and solved these issues by using a technique revived from the Mediterranean tradition: a patio.

 

A patio in an urban setting, just like an oasis. A central space that is closed off from the outside, so that it doesn’t overlook the neighbours, and is open to the sky. Using a patio is a way to create a wonderful interior world, a space that provides ventilation and light and is also a communal area where people can develop community relationships.

 

Creating a patio also meant that we could completely change the orientation of the rooms and make them north or south facing, considerably improving the climate conditions in this student residence in Valencia.

 

The patio of the Student residence will be built with two essential elements: stairs and plants. Plants convey the natural world and connect the space with a desire to interact with nature. The stairs are linked to the world of work and are intended to be an artistic expression of human beings’ ability to be creative.

 

All these ideas are essentially inspired by a search for beauty. Beauty at the service of society, improving people’s lives and helping to create a better world.

 

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