La Mascota is a residential clinic dedicated to paediatric neurology built in Managua in Nicaragua. The project is the result of the partnership between the LPArchitecture Studio and the Pierfranco and Luisa Mariani foundation created 31 years ago in order to facilitate support activities in the field of child neurology.
The facility was established to ensure the continuous presence of parents near to children suffering from spina bifida and admitted to the La Mascota hospital. Given the high incidence of this disease in the country, there was felt to be a need for action both through prevention and the raising of awareness of the issue through the training of medical and paramedical staff.
The complex consists of a central courtyard surrounded by an open arcade, which allows use of the exterior space even in bad weather. The entire inner façade of the building, which includes outpatient departments and rooms set apart for the use of patients’ families, faces onto the central cloister. The gabled structure takes its inspiration from traditional local architecture which has a central square with a typical sloping roof. The LPArchitecture studio has shown itself to be attentive to the needs of children and their families by creating a welcoming structure, built by local craftsmen using local materials. This facility, set in the heart of Central America, is committed to welcoming and helping child patients and their families, while at the same time guaranteeing the implementation of the disease prevention programme. Here solidarity has found its ideal home.
