Miguel Alonso Flamarique of MRM Architects' Studio led the design team for the new headquarters of the Valencia Construction Sector Employment, based in an industrial district in Valencia, Spain. The use of the material met both the standards for sustainability and sanitary requirements, as well as providing visual appeal. 

Flamarique explained consideration of both the interior design, which included the classrooms, in addition to the outdoor space, was necessary for the design to be functional. “It was not an easy building to design altogether,” he said. “Everything has to be perceived as a whole. That is why the large-scale pieces of ceramic are really important. It is a material that for us works in the long and short distance.”

The architect went on to explain that for the short distance, the design team looked at the texture and color of the tile. “In the long distance, we wanted to make the buildings appear as a whole,” said Flamarique. “We wanted to be unified by the use of ceramic tile. Smaller-format tile would be less affective.” 

Another top priority for the design of the facility was to tie it to its natural environment. “It was important for us to try to relate it to the surrounding landscape, which is pretty nice,” said the architect. “It is the typical landscape of Valencia. We are at the end of the industrial area, so we are lucky. We could build the landscape how we liked.”

To hear Flamarique speak to more details about the project, watch here: