Throughout the existing premises consisting of ground floor and mezzanine, placed at mid height from the street level, the new headquarters of the Asociación Española contra el Cáncer in Barcelona (AECC) is placed. An association that wants to be presented as open to the public and close to society, denoting a radical change of philosophy.

The duty of the architect is to bring this intention to the field of architecture: providing the premises with attractive spaces to make themselves visible from the street.

Concentrically disposed layout, from less to more intimacy for the user. The layout, conceived from the diversity of shapes, allows different ways to approach the user:

• The areas that need a tighter relation to the exterior using natural light are placed in the façade. A grandstand bridges the height difference from the street level.
• The more intimate areas are placed on the background, such as offices to ensure the confidentiality of the users.
• Four cubes are accommodated in the centre and articulate the free space, allowing reserved working areas connected by transparent glass panels to the common areas. Each one of these has attractive colors similar to the corporate ones.
• Organic furniture tailored by the studio with the goal of making the user uninhibited: satisfying the needs of the association to convey the warmth, closeness, affection, empathy… with the patient.

The crescent-shaped sofas allow to establish an intimate connection between the user and the staff in a natural way, without the need of enclosure in an office, and transmit the sensation of shelter that eases the proximity relation between patient and staff, showing the will of the association of breaking taboos.

The amoeba shaped working desks facilitate the connection between colleagues.

The presence of color in the cubes, cushions and furniture transmit positive feelings as joy, hope, comfort, optimism… essential sensations to face the condition in a positive state of mind.

Permeability for the natural light to the interior of the areas is searched at all times, using transparent glass partitions so that the views reach great deepness that visually bounds together the different spaces.

Materials are carefully chosen with the criteria of minimizing the maintenance, durable materials (hpl), easy to repair (vinyl), hygienic, warm (wood), acoustic (topakustic), laminated wooden floors and PVC, and acoustic ceiling.

The view from the outside is a great free area with scattered organic furniture that is perceived as an explosion of color, and the joy and hope philosophy of the new association is therefore exported to society.