Social and collective

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The project offers an opportunity to rethink the conditions of flexibility and adaptability that contemporary types of social housing demand. As as a collective program, it allows challenging the usual formats of interaction between inhabitants through new spaces for coexistence integrated into the building. The project explores these two issues -social and collective-, while responding to the most demanding energy efficiency standards -zero emissions building- and standing as an urban milestone between the city and the landscape of the Ebro riverside.

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The context, the volume

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The site limits with the city’s urban tissue, facing the riverside agrarian landscape, suggesting a bold relation with the horizon. This borderline condition provides a “watchtower condition” on the landscape, a bold volume that wants to incorporate the tones and reflections of its surroundings into its skin, as an anchor in the riverside region.

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nZEB: almost zero energy consumption

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We have designed an almost zero energy consumption (nZEB) building complex, based on the drastic reduction in energy demand and energy use. Renewable energy produced on-site covers 100% of the heating, cooling, DHW and electricity needs. The reduction of demand is achieved through passive measures, such as super-insulation in all exterior walls, high-performance carpentry, exterior solar protection systems (in summer) and direct radiation (in winter). All electricity demand is covered with a system of photovoltaic panels on the rooftop or as solar canopies in the public space at street level. The energy required clima comes from a deep geothermal system.