ONDIS: A Human-Centered Office for Non-Discrimination and Anti-Crime Support by 7a+i

The ONDIS (Non-Discrimination and Anti-Crime Office) in Valencia, Spain, designed by architecture studio 7a+i, stands as a meaningful response to the city’s initiative for inclusivity and civic support. Conceived as part of the Municipal Coexistence Plan against Discrimination and Hate (COMVA Plan), this compact yet impactful 53-square-meter space aims to provide care, support, and awareness for individuals facing discrimination or hate crimes.

A Dual-Spirit Space: Intimate Yet Transparent

Strategically located on the ground floor of a municipal housing building, the ONDIS office opens onto two distinct streets—Alta Street, an emblematic thoroughfare, and Corredores Street, a quiet square. The dual-access layout echoes the project’s dual purpose: to serve as both a safe, intimate refuge and a transparent public point of engagement. Despite the narrow and elongated configuration of the site, its generous ceiling height and inclusion of a mezzanine offered a starting point for a transformative intervention.

The site had previously served functional but temporary uses—first as a construction office, then a police storage area. The architects saw in this layered past a metaphor for change, and set out to design a space that would itself symbolize transformation and civic renewal.

Designing for Evolving Civic Infrastructure

With ONDIS being the first municipal office of its kind in Valencia, the architects proposed a design that would not only accommodate current needs but also adapt to future challenges. The space is conceived as a flexible and evolving infrastructure—an architecture that can change in tandem with shifting policies, services, and public needs.

Rather than relying on fixed partitions or static configurations, 7a+i developed a modular design system using dry construction techniques and sustainable materials. This approach allowed for easy reconfiguration, future relocation, or even complete reuse of components. Panels attached to a lightweight substructure form the walls, floors, and ceilings, crafting an environment that feels fluid, continuous, and transparent—qualities further emphasized by the treatment of both facades.

Construction as Assembly and Transformation

The project unfolded as a hands-on assembly workshop, where design, fabrication, and spatial articulation occurred simultaneously. The use of recognizable materials recontextualized from their traditional uses helps users feel both grounded and subtly disrupted—mirroring the project’s ambition to challenge the status quo of civic architecture.

The sustainability strategy went beyond energy use or passive performance. It prioritized materials that are low-impact in their production and capable of being reused or recycled. This reinforces the ONDIS office as a circular architecture prototype—one that is temporary, portable, and regenerative.