Center for the Mentally Handicapped designed by Taller de Arquitectura Rico+Roa, The thinking around those who will inhabit the building, its typology and its relationship to the environment could be considered the articulating origin of the project. In fact, understanding the building as a permanent residence, and not just as a health building has been central to its development.

The Center for the Mentally Handicapped in Alcolea is proposed as an extension to the existing building based on an ideas competition held in 2004. The competition allows, in a way, to select the location of the building. Understood as a decision of great importance, we analyzed the options and rejected the first option, which is the lot south of the present center. From the drafting team, we proposed the site with the best relationships with the Alcolea valley and its surroundings. To the north, the canvas background of the Sierra de Cordoba. To the east, the landscape generated by the steep drop to the valley and the hillside across the Guadalbarbo stream offers views of greater significance. To the west, the buildings of the present center offer protection from the most aggressive sunlight. Photography: Fernando Alda
In this situation, it makes sense to use a typology capable of making the most of these site conditions. As for the inhabitants of the center, it is very important to take into account the uniqueness of their character and the difficulties it implies. For the mentally handicapped ...