PRE-EXISTENCES 

The Regional Center for Autism Care, CRIAA, is located in Ciudad Camargo, México, with the aim of providing care to both local people and nearby municipalities, eliminating the need for transfers to the capital of the state of Chihuahua. The CRIAA is located within the Arturo Armendariz Children's Park, which is characterized by having large trees over 60 years old, right next to the municipal DIF. The Building has 580 sqm and responds to the site by taking the strategy of respecting existing trees, taking advantage of the natural views of the site and the use of local materials, in addition to connecting with existing buildings. For the scheme it was decided to leave 4 interior courtyards so as not to touch the trees, facilitate interior lighting, control the views and have the possibility of carrying out outside activities related to therapies and events at the Center.

COGNITIVE ACCESSIBILITY 

As it is a facility intended to serve the region's autistic children and youth through therapies, courses and information, the architectural programme and the interior spatial solution respond to the use of cognitive accessibility indicators in environments and buildings, established by the Superior Center of La Salle Madrid University Studies. These indicators respond to 4 fundamental strategies: 

1. Easy identification of the building from the outside. The project is built on an exterior brick skin, with a volume that helps with the identification of the building, access and patios, contrasting with the rest of the complex. The texture of the brick dialogues with the roughness of the trees and with shadows, which are now received in the patio, corridors and walls.

2. Clear lecture of the main access. The entry point stands out from the rest of the building by being placed in the tallest volume and by having an element in blue that stands out from the façade. 

3. Identified destinations and routes. Through strategic signage, using alternative and augmentative communication pictograms, as well as the use of color, interior spaces and origin-destination routes are indicated. To reinforce this point, the entrances to the 4 main therapy spaces have a color coating in the same tone as the furniture inside each of them. As reinforcement, the entrances to these spaces were designed in 4 different widths so that, apart from color, each room was associated with a specific size when entering them. 

4. Elimination of the Labyrinth effect. Looking for cognitive spatial security, the labyrinth effect is broken, thanks to the organization of the areas in two main corridors, to facilitate interior movement as a sequence of spaces without spatial fractures.