BERTOA SOCIAL CENTER
WE HAVE COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BERTOA SOCIAL CENTER, LOCATED IN THE LANDSCAPED AREA OF THE INDUSTRIAL ESTATE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF CARBALLO
The Center will become a place for neighbors to come together, a venue for cultural activities and the promotion of sports.The building, with a total usable floor area of 530 m2, is divided into two volumes constructed under a single roof: one building for the auditorium, which includes a storage area and restroom, and another classroom building with a social lounge, computer room, office, and restroom. The two volumes face each other across a space lit by two skylights that define the entrances to the two main uses.
Covered Community Space
The covered area connecting both volumes enhances the communal character of the new public space, providing outdoor areas that are protected from the rain. In addition, an outdoor barbecue area is proposed on the façade of the first auditorium volume, and a courtyard in the second volume to provide natural light and ventilation for the classrooms.From a construction standpoint, the foundations have been executed with continuous footings, while the ground floor is raised on a ventilated crawl space slab. The floor finish consists of a polished concrete slab laid over a prior 10 cm layer of extruded insulation.
CONSTRUCTION SOLUTION
Regarding the load-bearing structure, it is executed with exposed concrete walls finished by blasting with quartz sand and, in some areas, with exposed formwork creating visible fluted patterns. The load-bearing structure between the two buildings consists of an exposed concrete slab that, on the interior, simulates an exposed ceiling using the sandblasting system.The light fittings, which have been produced in a craft-based manner by a blacksmith, are made of lacquered galvanized steel and stainless steel.The building’s flat roof is resolved with a waterproofing system of asphalt sheets, 10 cm of insulation, and a finishing layer of river pebbles in different colors.Most of the classroom building’s envelope is lined internally with brickwork and 10 cm thick rock wool insulation. The wall and ceiling finishes are executed with different materials: white plastic paint, cladding formed by Okume or Iroko wood boards, etc.All of the surrounding exterior area is executed with a reinforced concrete slab as the sub-base for the paving finish of concrete pavers laid dry on a 5 x 5 x 5 cm sand bed, connecting both areas. It is worth noting that part of the paving is rough, while the access to the buildings features a bush-hammered finish.
