ONDIS, Office of Non-Discrimination and Hate Crimes
The establishment of the Office of Non-Discrimination and Hate Crimes in Valencia, known as ONDIS, is a key initiative of the Municipal Coexistence Plan against Discrimination and Hate (COMVA Plan). The city council aimed to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for individuals at risk of experiencing any form of discrimination, whilst also acting as a hub for citizen information and awareness. This space was envisioned to be both intimate and outward-facing.
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The selected ground-floor premises stretch from the renowned Alta Street to the more understated Corredors Street, essentially forming a small square. The premises are narrow and deep, but benefit from a high ceiling. The original layout included a mezzanine level which rendered part of the space unusable, and a feature referred to as an engalaberno. Initially, the space served as a construction cabin during the building of the municipal residential block where it's situated, then as a storage facility for the Local Police whose station is located nearby. The premises had never been properly utilized or fitted out.
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Our vision, which we shared with the city council, was that this first office, dedicated to this novel service, should embody the capacity for change that is vital in adapting to the evolving landscape of municipal policies, strategies, and actions. The space itself should remain flexible, able to evolve in line with ongoing learnings and improvements.
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Our initial focus was on demolition and preparation of the external structure. This laid the groundwork for us to devise a building framework which enabled us to address a range of considerations such as the site and context, regulatory requirements and programme objectives, and user needs and desires. This approach resulted in the development of flexible forms that adapt and organize the space, which is fluid and open, thanks largely to the treatment of the two façades.
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The project transformed into an assembly workshop, where the envisaged solution was refined. A supporting structure was formed, onto which panels were attached to form the floors, walls, and ceilings. We built using dry construction methods and materials that are not only environmentally-friendly in their production, but also offer potential for reuse or recycling. This will facilitate their repurposing for use in a larger facility or for modification when the service is discontinued. Our approach involved creatively working with recognizable materials and elements, recontextualizing them to reshape the reality of the space.
