Juan de Santander Civic Center is conceived as a neighborhood-scale public facility designed to strengthen community life in Cueto through a versatile mix of social, educational and cultural programs. The building sits on a 9,386.86 m² municipal plot in a heterogeneous urban context, with the adjacent sports facility as the main immediate reference.
The project is organized as an interlocking composition of four prisms that carve out a central, top-lit heart—a generous internal void that structures circulation and provides orientation across the two above-ground levels. Externally, the architecture adopts a solid, restrained presence; internally, it unfolds into warm, daylit spaces articulated by large glazed surfaces and a welcoming civic atmosphere.
The program is distributed over three levels (basement + two floors) totaling 3,613 m². The ground floor includes a ~300-seat auditorium, an independent reception volume and a children’s playroom connected to an outdoor garden, where a small amphitheater supports activities. Social services areas are arranged with a high degree of autonomy and privacy. The upper floor hosts workshop classrooms with movable partitions, a library and additional multipurpose spaces. The basement accommodates parking, building services and storage.
Construction relies on in-situ textured concrete walls and a strategy of continuous interior insulation to reduce thermal bridging. The entrance is marked by a prominent cantilevered element supported by a steel truss and finished in zinc, creating a clear civic threshold. A green roof covers the auditorium, and photovoltaic panels are incorporated on the roof as an on-site renewable contribution.
Officially opened in October 2024, the building is designed as a robust yet adaptable civic infrastructure—capable of hosting diverse activities while reinforcing social cohesion in a growing neighborhood.