Workplace
A renovation of the public-facing headquarters of Andalusia's citizen rights institution — transforming a dated and unwelcoming space into an environment that reflects the organisation's values: transparency, accessibility, and care for the people who use it.
Client
Defensor del Pueblo de Andalucía
Location
Seville, Spain
Scope
Interior renovation · Entrance redesign · Window replacement · Biophilic design
Status
Completed
Architecture & Interior Design
Indomo
Project Architect
José Delgado
Quantity Surveyor, Site Management & H&S
Antonio Cruces
Main Contractor
RASCON
WELL principles
Air quality · Acoustic comfort · Natural materials · Biophilia
The brief
The Andalusian Ombudsman exists to defend the rights of citizens. Its headquarters — the first space people encounter when they come to the institution for help — was dark, unwelcoming and poorly organised. The brief was to change that: create a space that communicates openness, makes visitors feel received rather than processed, and works better for the staff who use it every day.
The building also had a practical problem: the existing windows on both main façades offered poor thermal and acoustic performance, driving up energy costs and making the interior uncomfortable in both summer and winter.
The approach
01
New windows throughout both façades. Full replacement of the existing window system with high-performance glazing — reducing energy consumption, cutting external noise, and improving thermal comfort across all seasons without mechanical intervention. The envelope works before anything else does.
02
A reception that receives. The entrance was redesigned from the ground up — open layout, clear sightlines, generous natural light, and seating that treats waiting visitors as people rather than a queue. A new internal façade carries the institution's identity clearly and calmly.
03
Biophilia as spatial strategy, not decoration. Plants were incorporated throughout the public areas — not as ornament, but as acoustic buffers, air quality improvers and spatial dividers. Natural and low-toxicity materials throughout: no unnecessary off-gassing in a space used by the public every day.
04
The patio as a multipurpose civic space. The interior patio was redesigned with mobile furniture in oak and steel that can be reconfigured for public events, staff use or citizen engagement. A space that had no clear purpose became one of the most functional areas in the building.
Before & after
Before
After
Project images
"A space that now reflects what the institution actually stands for — open, accessible, and designed for the people who need it."
Indomo — project note
The result
The new windows reduced energy consumption and eliminated the acoustic discomfort that had made the building hard to work in. The public areas — entrance, reception, patio — now function as a coherent sequence that guides visitors clearly and makes them feel welcome.
The use of natural, low-toxicity materials and acoustic-absorbent surfaces improved the working conditions for staff while creating a noticeably calmer atmosphere for visitors. The institution's mission — to protect and serve citizens — is now legible in the space itself.
