The challenge with public service buildings in a hot and humid climate is to make both the employees and the visiting public comfortable.
The social Security Offices were designed to accommodate these two rather separate dynamics of user, in a space efficient, user friendly volume without compromising functionality.
Managerial, non-publicly accessible offices were housed in a two-storey wing, overlooking the main street, while public services were housed in two other two-storey wings opposite the first one, creating a large courtyard with plenty of shade. The facades were designed and built as three storey facades to absorb any future vertical extensions for any or all of the wings.
Both employees and visitors enter via a large slit in the solid western double-facade, a main path linking the street entrance, managerial and then public wings.
Aesthetically the volumes are inspired by the ancient Egyptian architecture found in this part of Egypt - El Minia, though with climatic benefits as solar gain is minimised by using small, well placed openings that still provide ample natural light.
The triangular plot lent an interesting double triangular geometry that shaped the layout and set the structure into the site’s fabric.