AZUCARERA HOUSING
Social and collective
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.
The context, the volume
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.
nZEB: almost zero energy consumption
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). A centralised production system for heating, cooling and domestic hot water services has been planned for the building with a biomass boiler room, a source of renewable energy. Cooling through an air system on deck.
