Public authorities also connect with citizens through the spaces where they welcome them. A building’s accessibility, an office’s layout or the condition of a driving test facility have a very tangible impact on how public services are delivered. With this in mind, Ineco has been working with Spain’s Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) since 2021 to improve its buildings and infrastructure. The commission covers project design, construction supervision and health and safety coordination, and has been renewed since it began.
The work spans provincial and local traffic offices, driving test facilities and premises used by the Civil Guard’s Traffic Division. Together, these form a diverse network of facilities across the country, each with its own needs and circumstances. The collaboration encompasses nearly 40 completed and ongoing schemes, with more than 20 projects currently active.
Some of the projects illustrate this variety. In Huelva, Ineco is developing the detailed design for a new provincial traffic office, planned from the outset around the centre’s needs. In Ceuta, the work focuses on new driving test facilities, while in Murcia it has involved roof refurbishment and accessibility improvements at the provincial traffic office. Other projects support the people who deliver these services, such as the new building designed for the Civil Guard’s Traffic Division in La Laguna, Tenerife. These examples reflect a consistent approach: sometimes building from scratch, and sometimes extending the life of existing buildings by reconfiguring, expanding or improving them. The commission includes replacement, adaptation, refurbishment and extension works, alongside the design work required to deliver them.
From a need to a solution
Ineco’s work begins long before construction starts. Its teams assess each scheme, develop detailed designs and help prepare the technical documentation required for procurement. Once construction is under way, they oversee delivery through construction supervision and health and safety coordination. Where the DGT has land available for new facilities, the process can begin with an almost blank canvas. Preliminary studies establish what the future centre needs, how it should operate and which architectural and technical solutions will best support its intended uses. This work progresses through to the preparation of the documentation required for tendering and construction.
To carry out this work, the Projects Subdirectorate brings together disciplines including architecture, building services, telecommunications, drainage, structural engineering, landscape architecture, road engineering, waste management and surveying. It has a permanent team of 15 people, and more than 60 technical specialists have contributed at different stages of the collaboration, supporting the simultaneous development of multiple projects.
The aim is to ensure that every improvement helps a facility fulfil its purpose more effectively. A traffic office is a direct point of contact between public authorities and citizens; a driving test facility supports thousands of people as they work towards obtaining their driving licence; and the Civil Guard’s Traffic Division premises must support its personnel in their day-to-day work.
The continuity of this collaboration since 2021 has also made it possible to address a wide range of needs with consistent technical expertise. Ineco contributes its experience in infrastructure projects for public authorities, alongside specialist teams able to support the entire process, from initial planning through to construction.
Improving a public building also means improving people’s experience within it. Ultimately, designing around how a space will be used means making it work better for the people it is there to serve.
