Master Group

Toa Alta, Puerto Rico

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Other Projects by HACEDORMAKER_

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Avitare / Casa Sofía

Master Group

Toa Alta, Puerto Rico

Firm

HACEDORMAKER_

Type

Commercial › Office
Industrial › Factory Laboratory

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2024

SIZE

10,000 sqft - 25,000 sqft

Master Group is a native company that leads the production of concrete, cinder blocks, and other construction and agriculture materials in Puerto Rico, with exports to Colombia and Costa Rica.

The main component of this project was the retrofit and remodel of the first structure built at the site [1963; approx.10,000 ft2]. The design strategy - aimed at maximizing existing resources, minimizing costs, and environmental impact, and maintaining a physical connection with the company’s history - sought to recycle the original structure as much as possible. In formal terms we modernized the architectural appearance of the original building through the incorporation of materials and components that were “native” to the company and true to the spirit of the brand, using raw cinder blocks, exposed concrete surfaces, and prefabricated panels. The idea was to keep the facade of the original building partially recognizable, now entirely painted white, mediated by a new “architectural mask” that modulates the openings, filters light, and controls access to the new interior spaces.

Programmatically, new office, meeting, and collaborative spaces were created through selective demolitions and strategic expansions, transforming the old building into the flagship headquarters. The new wing at the original building is composed of exposed concrete and raw CMU’s on the outside, with drywall and glass partitions inside. In the center of the structure a new interior courtyard emerges, with a double-height space defined by a new concrete roof, supported by monumental round, steel columns, and suspended over the original building. The courtyard serves as circulation gallery, exhibition “loft”, gathering space, and light well to the center of the building.

In parallel, a west-facing 6,000 square-foot annex was created to house a training center, laboratory, and storage spaces. This secondary building, composed of prefabricated concrete panels installed over a steel substructure, is separated by a garden and connected by a covered gallery.

The project, in addition to incorporating most of the original building, harvests rainwater, and uses “smart” lighting and a/c control systems. Furthermore, the building produces 100% of its electricity using solar panels. The current project is the first part of a master plan for the whole industrial park which will eventually include new manufacturing facilities, a workshop, and a new agricultural wing with gardens and greenhouses.

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Master Group

Toa Alta, Puerto Rico

Other Projects by HACEDORMAKER_

Avitare / Casa Sofía

Master Group

Toa Alta, Puerto Rico

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team