Visit to the headquarters of the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology and the Catalan Institute of Palaeontology (ICTA-ICP)

On 12th December 2014, the students of the Master’s Degree in Architecture and Sustainability visited the new headquarters of the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology and the Catalan Institute of Palaeontology (ICTA-ICP) of the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB – Autonomous University of Barcelona), in Cerdanyola del Vallès.

The objective of the ICTA is to become one of the reference centres in environmental studies in Europe. Its differentiating factors are its internationalisation, multi-disciplinary nature and interaction with various interested parties within a framework of sustainability based on values relating to social responsibility. The office H Arquitectes and Data AE have taken advantage of this vision to produce an almost cubical bioclimatic building, which has a continuous semi-transparent facade along all four of its sides (inspired by greenhouse technology), with vegetation and large openings framed with wood. The latter mainly correspond to spaces for access and exchange and to rest areas for the scientists.

In this new building, which is unique in Catalonia in terms of the sustainability criteria with which it has been constructed, the internal temperature is controlled by means of a bioclimatic “outer skin”’. This reduces the consumption of energy by up to 62% and reduces water consumption by up to 90%, with respect to a conventional building.

The visit was guided by the architect Roger Tudó (H Arquitectes).

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Passivhaus Tour – Brussels 2014

Last December, the students of the Master’s Degree in Architecture and Sustainability toured the Passivhaus in the city of Brussels. There, they visited various buildings, in different stages of construction, accompanied by the architects responsible for their design, who explained this construction standard and the main considerations at different phases of the project and in the execution of the final work.

We had the opportunity to visit the following buildings:

  • Belle-Vue, a project for the rehabilitation of a former beer factory and its conversion into a hostel belonging to the Meininger chain (A2M).
  • Maison de Quartier Saint-Antoine, a renewal project and a new development for a community centre (Faidherbe & Pinto Architectes).
  • Bruxelles Environnement, a new development, for the new office headquarters of “Bruxelles Environment” which is in the Tour&Taxi complex (CEPEZED).
  • Bonne Mariemont, new rooms and a school complex (TRAIT).
  • Brussels Greenbiz,a new development with an integrated office and workshop centre (Architectes Associes).
  • Simons-Anvers, a new development consisting of a multi-family building and the restoration of an old school (A2M).

We also attended a conference at which Aline Branders and Sebastian Moreno-Vacca, who are both architects with the company A2M and members of the Belgian Passivhaus Platform, explained the criteria behind this low energy demand construction standard.

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