Sustainable architecture at the service of people. This is the philosophy on which the projects of the Valencian firm Lecoc Arquitectura are based. Designs that, inspired by nature, appeal to the senses with their own language where space breathes essence, order, proportion, light and tranquillity, but always with an eye to caring for the environment. Not as something superfluous, but inherent to the DNA of this firm that has made sustainability its hallmark.
Led by Alicia Medrano and Fernando Pedrosa, this Valencian studio was born with a clear vocation: to develop contemporary architecture under the theory of sustainability. ‘Our architecture is nourished by the great schools, which are a constant source of inspiration, by our travels and stays in other countries, by collaborations with national and international architecture studios, by the Japanese, Dutch and Portuguese schools, by Switzerland through Le Corbusier and by the German culture of the Bauhaus’, explains Pedrosa.
These influences are reflected in a work that has not only left its mark in Valencia, his city of origin, but has also been exported internationally to countries such as Algeria and Germany. His most ambitious project has been L’Oncopole, an oncology hospital in the Algerian city of Oran, which is already one of the city’s emblematic buildings. Precisely, the healthcare segment accounts for a large part of its portfolio due to this conception of architecture as a tool to ‘improve people’s lives’.
As a result of this interest in exploring new cultures, the opportunity arose to take the leap to Algeria and build a large oncology centre in Oran. An adventure that arose from the hand of a client in the area and involved countless trips, visits, meetings, a lot of work and a deep knowledge of the Maghreb culture to be able to build a centre with the latest oncology treatments and the highest quality and safety.
With a budget of more than 18 million euros, the hospital has medical equipment, selected by them and a group of oncology specialists from Germany, France and the Netherlands. ‘The building is a place to treat patients, but for Oran it is also a pole of attraction for medical and research talent, and a further step in the country’s development,’ explains Pedrosa. The building has a clear volumetry and is based on the idea of developing the programme around a central courtyard, which brings light and space to the centre of the project.
In the construction of the hospital, the materiality and personality of traditional Arab architecture have been combined with the most avant-garde design and technology, making room for the latest technology from multinationals such as General Electric, IBA and Elekta. ‘We have rescued the traditional architectural wisdom of Algeria, reinterpreting in a contemporary way elements of Mediterranean architecture, such as the musharabia, in order to link the building to the culture of the place,’ says Pedrosa.
This hospital is the first phase of an even more ambitious €70 million architectural project. Its expansion is already underway and includes a 180-bed hospitalisation centre and another speciality centre, operating theatres, outpatient clinics and laboratories, as well as a research and training centre for oncology, which will be strongly committed to nuclear medicine.
As in all its work, the architectural proposal is adapted to the climatic conditions of its surroundings to make it more sustainable and efficient. ‘Our efforts are focused on combining ecological, economic and social sustainability, responding to the needs of our clients with a global approach,’ says Medrano. A commitment that they exploit to the maximum with the constant search for sustainable and efficient architectural solutions, always introducing bioclimatic criteria, optimising natural resources, reducing energy consumption and promoting renewable energies. In addition, they are also making more in-depth use of materials such as ceramics, whose versatility and performance can help to configure more efficient spaces.
At a time when construction has been able to adapt to the new demands of more demanding consumers and in which the concept of ‘bioclimatic architecture’ is gaining more interest, for Lecoc it is not just a passing fad, but should guide the new formulas of the sector and form part of the new real estate proposals. ‘As architects we have the opportunity and the responsibility to shape the future. Sustainability is not only for the environment, it is above all for people,’ Medrano stresses.
Modular homes in Mallorca
Now, Lecoc Arquitectura is immersed in different projects in Valencia and the Balearic Islands. Of particular note are the Cózar Clinic for Traumatology and Aesthetics and museography projects for the City of Arts and Sciences. In the residential sector, they are currently developing sustainable and modular housing in Mallorca and have also worked on the València Golf Residential Complex in Torre en Conill, a development of seven luxury homes in the prestigious Valencian urbanisation.
Looking to the future, they continue to explore new lines of research into architectural materials and systems, supporting Universities and Associations that promote research and talent, while remaining committed to projects characterised by a high degree of involvement with sustainability and energy efficiency. ‘We are proud of where we come from, we believe that Valencian architects will have a lot to say in the future, and we would like to lead this process of internationalisation’, they conclude.
