040 Exemplar: Registry Office of St Vicente by Duarte Caldeira

"Situated on the northwest coast of the island of Madeira, Portugal, in an extensive river valley, it is near the centre of a small coastal rural village, nestled between the region’s natural landscape, which extends towards the area where the building is located...
Instead of demolishing the existing small buildings to make room for the new one, it was decided to use some of them as part of the new building, and also keep the original staircase and lift which gives access to the car park located below...
The design program of this public services’ building is a simple one. It houses an open space office and workspace for the registrar office personnel, an archive area and a main private office, a meetings room and a reception counter for the general public."

http://www.dezeen.com/2011/08/11/registrar-office-of-st-vicente-by-duarte-caldeira/

I believe this design is a Major Addition & Alteration project that retains all of the existing small buildings. What is significant about this design, is not so much about why it was built but the context that it was sited on, and the materials that was selected for it.

Project Name – Registrar Office of St Vicente
Architect: Duarte Caldeira
Location: S.Vicente, Madeira, Portugal
Project Team: Duarte Caldeira, Filipe Clairouin, Roberto Castro
Structural Engineers: Casca Lda
Project Year: 2008
Start and Completion Dates – November 2009 / May 2011
Project Area: building 420m2, site 3360 m²
Reference URL: http://www.dezeen.com/2011/08/11/registrar-office-of-st-vicente-by-duarte-caldeira/

Buzz Words and Phrases

...instead of demolishing
...nestled between the region’s natural landscape
...for the general public

I think what's important - and will be explored - for my design of the "mobile" entity/element/etc. is keeping aspects of the selected site pretty much the way it is, on a route that accessible for both the natural and built environment, and of course, accessible enough for the general public, who are the intended users. Governmental presence, at this stage, I feel will be a slow-but-surely felt element - not immediate. Maybe. Oh, and not forgetting the MATERIALITY aspect of this "mobile" entity/element/etc.

~ H