Médecins Sans Frontières Headquarters

The Médecins Sans Frontières Headquarters in Barcelona, spanning over 8,000 m², transforms an existing building in the 22@ district, promoting functional and biophilic spaces.

The design introduces a stepped green courtyard, enhancing daylight and natural ventilation throughout the interior spaces. The terraced section optimises light penetration on every floor and creates outdoor terraces that extend the work areas with new spaces for meetings and informal gatherings. A new staircase within the courtyard strengthens vertical connectivity between floors and encourages healthy habits, with vegetation taking a central role in the experience. The ground floor is conceived as an extension of the public realm, articulated through a multifunctional lobby integrating reception, bicycle parking, foyer, and auditorium, with the green courtyard serving as the central feature and backdrop.

Flexible workspaces are arranged around the new central courtyard on the typical floors, fostering a connection with the terraces and greenery. The layout centres on an open-plan workspace, flanked by side strips housing circulation cores, services, meeting rooms, offices, and break areas. The roof is conceived as a productive, active space, combining a main terrace linked to the courtyard and the Zamora Street façade—designed for social interaction and relaxation amid vegetation and shaded by adjustable canopies—with a technical zone accommodating building services and photovoltaic panels integrated into the existing pergola.