7 buildings for a greener and more sustainable Barcelona
A new facade has recently been unveiled in Barcelona. Núñez i Navarro has carried out a comprehensive rehabilitation of the EADA business school optimizing the building according to its functionality and designing a sustainable space with energy efficiency systems and a double-skin facade that interacts with the city through its changing appearance when it catches the sunlight. The rehabilitation of the EADA headquarters has allowed the building to be adapted to current needs, optimizing spaces according to their functionality. Stairs and elevators have been relocated, and classrooms and common areas have been distributed around the central axis of the project, the new double-skin facade: an inner curtain-wall type with high-performance thermal and acoustic insulating glass and an outer layer, with hundreds of laminated glass slats in four different shades.
In that regard, sustainability has been key in the project. Therefore, passive thermal insulation and solar protection systems have been installed to eliminate the transmission of ultraviolet rays. Energy-efficient systems have also been implemented for water heating and thermal, hygienic, and lighting conditioning.
The result is a smart building that provides comfort inside by harnessing the impact of sunlight, while interacting with the outside and connecting with the city through a changing facade inspired by the traditional buildings of the Eixample.
The EADA building has been the latest in a series of buildings that make efficiency and sustainability their raison d'être and pave the way towards a greener Barcelona, which Núñez i Navarro has already joined.
Baró de Viver Civic Center and Senior Citizens' Space
This space for citizens is the first building in Catalonia to be awarded the LEED Platinum certification for New Construction and the first Social Facility in Spain, an accolade that recognizes the efficient use of energy within it. It is a public use building of 1,652 square meters serving as a community center for the elderly, located in the Baró de Viver neighborhood, very close to the Trinitat road junction.
Its efficiency was evident even during its construction, as it is fully prefabricated and built dry. Among the most characteristic data of this new construction is the consumption of 48% less compared to a standard building, since it produces a large part of the energy it consumes through photovoltaic panels. Moreover, its efficiency ensures a climatic comfort based on thermal inertia and ventilation, so that the building does not require cooling during the summer months. With 93% of spaces with natural light, lighting costs are also significantly reduced. Similarly, water is 100% reusable, whether for the building's irrigation or the sanitary water, which comes exclusively from rainwater. Free of pollutants such as VOCs and mercury, the quality of its air is guaranteed, reducing the impact and emissions by 41% throughout its life cycle.
MediaTIC Building:
Located in the 22@ district, we find a building dedicated to new technologies, aiming to be a meeting place for learning and implementing the so-called ICT, information and communication technologies. The property was designed by architect Enrique Ruiz Geli and was inaugurated in 2010. Architecturally, it is a cube with four completely different facades that have specific functions depending on their orientation and the amount of light each side receives throughout the day. At night, like a jellyfish, it releases all that energy, becoming a luminescent element.
One of the main features of the building is its structure, with a metallic skeleton that has vertical elements on the exterior, creating wide and clear spaces on each of its floors, as well as an inner courtyard. Another distinctive feature is the ETFE skin, a compound that acts as a solar filter and reduces the entry of ultraviolet rays. It is also a very light, elastic, and non-stick material, so it doesn't get dirty, thus avoiding maintenance costs and pollution from the use of detergents. The enormous operational success of this building has led the community to standardize the use of ETFE as a construction material.
Glòries Tower:
One of the most unique buildings in Barcelona, which due to its cylindrical shape and enormous height has carved out a niche in the Barcelona skyline. It is the work of French architect Jean Nouvel, winner of the Pritzker Prize in 2008. Although its construction initially sparked strong controversy, it quickly garnered a high approval rating from both citizens and tourists. Its nighttime illumination played a significant role in its success, as the building becomes visible from various parts of the city thanks to a combination of 4,500 LED devices capable of producing moving images. This system can display up to 16 million colors. And thanks to the energy efficiency with which it was designed, the cost of lighting the entire facade for one hour is just six euros, since it consists of 60,000 slats with photovoltaic panels that accumulate solar energy to self-sustain the tower's needs. This lighting system is known as Diffraction and is used in the celebration of various important events for the city.
Other elements that make it a sustainable building include the regulation of the interior temperature through a VRV system that operates intelligently in each area of the building, without providing heat to unoccupied offices or storage areas. Similarly, the lights can also be controlled by a system that detects whether a space is being used or not.
Measures such as those detailed here contributed to the European Commission awarding the building with the title of Green Building, both for its energy efficiency and for its reduced CO2 emissions compared to other similar buildings.
Eco-friendly Barcelona:
On the border of the 22@ district, very close to the Sancho de Ávila funeral home, a building was constructed in 2005 that at the time was considered a benchmark for sustainable buildings, the Ecourban Barcelona, an office complex. As major pillars of this sustainability, they relied on the use of recyclable materials, free of toxic products. Equally important and fundamental was the energy saving through the roof of solar panels and a green roof that is responsible for absorbing rainwater to reuse it for other purposes. To achieve this, the complex was oriented 45 degrees to the south, so that it could receive sunlight throughout the year, thus reducing the expenditure on artificial lighting. Other innovative elements back in 2005 were the natural ventilation, the system of blinds and windbreaks, and the facades with green climbing plants. The combination of all these elements allows for a saving of between 30 and 40% of energy compared to other similar buildings.
The Sun Factory:
It is a municipal facility that educates and promotes the culture of sustainability in Barcelona through activity programs. It does so by setting an example, from a modernist building that features natural ventilation and a geothermal heat pump, as well as an indoor vertical garden, which also contributes to the building's sustainability.
Hasta ahora hemos visto los pioneros, edificios diseñados al albor del nuevo milenio, cuando se empezó a tomar conciencia de la necesidad de un mundo más sostenible en el que la arquitectura ciudadana tenía mucho que aportar. Así, estas primeras construcciones marcaron el camino a otras edificaciones de nuestra ciudad que también asumen su grado de responsabilidad para una Barcelona más ECO, como la sede central del Banc de Sang i Teixits, que reduce las emisiones de CO2 en 963 toneladas anuales con climatizadores free-cooling, intercambiadores de calor y un muro de fachada aislante que impide el sobrecalentamiento. También destacable es el Pabellón de Operaciones del Hospital de Sant Pau, que reformó sus quirófanos con criterios de sostenibilidad.
And the fact is that what was once exceptional has become a must for companies linked to the construction sector. At Núñez i Navarro, we have assimilated this commitment to the Environment and make it tangible in every project, in every building. Not to mention, at the Rec Barcelona hotel, whose top roof is crowned by a water cover with a green tapestry of herbaceous plants that allows for natural and sustainable insulation of the building. In addition, the patios equipped with plants and the sliding windows of the lounge allow for natural ventilation without air conditioning. The entire hotel has energy-saving systems with low-consumption lighting, and the use of materials derived from petroleum has been minimized, promoting natural materials such as wood, wool, concrete, or iron. Being efficient and sustainable is like mastering English for work. It has long ceased to be an added value. It is a sine qua non. Our clients know it. And so do we.
