Marsino Arquitectura

UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building

UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
© Jorge Marsino

UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building 

Marsino Arquitectura

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Jorge Marsino P., María Inés Buzzoni G., Francisco González C.

CLIENTS
Uoh | Universidad De O’higgins

MANUFACTURERS
Autodesk, Dialum, Hunter Douglas, Mk, Masisa

DESIGN TEAM
Natalia Moreno, Maria Paz Aedo, Mariana Bautista, Mario Orellana

PHOTOGRAPHS
Jorge Marsino, Pedro Mutis (Cortesía De Masisa)

ENGINEERING
Claudio Hinojosa Torra

ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONSULTANT
Francisco González Cisterna

GARBAGE PROJECT
Raúl Urzúa

ACOUSTICS
Felipe Oróstegui

KITCHEN
Valeria Jofré

MEP
Tefra Ingeniería Sanitaria

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Mvq Ingeniería Ltda

CLIMATE ENGINEERING
Ipc Ingeniería

SIGNAGE PROJECT
Santabuzzo Diseño

LANDSCAPE
Mpda Paisajismo

AREA
16555 M²

YEAR
2021

LOCATION
Rancagua, Chile

CATEGORY
University

In the Chilean and South American context, with limited resources for public investment, and in a global context of climate emergency that demands an urgent change of perspective in the use of resources, buildings for public use and destination must be capable of being reconverted and adapted.

constantly to the changes that society demands and promotes, becoming opportunities to rethink the way they relate to the city and its inhabitants.

UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
© Jorge Marsino
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Cortesía de UOH

This is the case of the project for the Building of the Ex Rancagua Hospital, handed over by the regional government to the recently created Regional University of O'Higgins, which arises from the challenge of reconverting and resignifying the building, with a strong imprint of sanitary architecture.

Functional, heretical and segmented, to transform it into the founding headquarters of the recently created regional university, with an image that reflects the values of contemporary public education: flexible, stimulating and inclusive, open to the community and the public space of the Alameda Bernardo O'Higgins, the main avenue of the city, a few blocks from the Rancagua main square. 

UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
© Pedro Mutis (cortesía de MASISA)
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Cortesía de UOH

The image of the old hospital, which operated for more than 60 years in this building, is strongly rooted in the collective memory of the city, with its 6-story volumetry and large semi-continuous windows, and gray and blue mosaic exterior cladding.

And its central location with lateral access, in a complex surrounded by walls and bars that do not allow a direct relationship between the building and the avenue.

UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Cortesía de UOH
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
© Pedro Mutis (cortesía de MASISA)

Inside, the enclosures with large windows and high ceilings are not perceived from the longitudinal corridor that runs through all the floors dividing the north and south fronts of the building, between which a strong contrast is generated.

Warm north enclosures and cold southern enclosures. separated by a dark and very long axis of circulation, which does not invite the journey.

UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Cortesía de UOH
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Cortesía de UOH

6 intervention strategies are defined, prioritized by a tight budget but demanding compliance with environmental comfort standards, for the transformation of the building.Build a covered atrium on an urban scale / Recover the old hall / Permeate the interior / Hierarchize the program / Make use more flexible / Build in stages.


UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Plan - First floor
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Plan - Second floor
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Plan - Third floor
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Plan - Seventh floor
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Plan - Roof
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Axo
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Plan - Site
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Plan - Plinth


UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Section - Cross
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Section - Longitudinal


UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Elevation - East
UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Elevation - South


UOH Rancagua Headquarters Building
Detail

Marsino Arquitectura
T +56 9 99197623
Marsino Arquitectura
Av. El Cerro 179, 7520170 Providencia, Región Metropolitana, Chile