57 public affordable housing at Granollers

57 public affordable housing Competition at Granollers, Barcelona, Spain.
Authors: moarqs together with Sofía Cacchione, arch. and ARACIL & FLORES ARQUITECTOS S.L.P.
Project: Ignacio Montaldo, Sofía Cacchione, José María Flores Moreno, Antonio Aracil.
Project team: Nicolás Podestá, Blas Rowe.

The proposal assumes the singularity of the urban limit condition established for the Island, contributing to the construction of the image of the population from the Lledoner park. The tension generated in the volumetric and material compensation of the block with four floors and the one with seven, gravitates on the two axes that structure the building proposal, organizing the spaces on the ground floor. The opening to the park in the east-west direction, and the pedestrian routes parallel to the river, which communicate the series of Islands, in the north-south direction, organize the access routes to the houses, are extended, and become a Garden with Mediterranean and adapted species. The homogeneity of the tones of the materials used emphasizes the presence of the plant masses, providing serenity and warmth to the exterior spaces of the building.
The organization of the blocks -five dwellings per floor in the case of the upper block, and nine in the lower block- is structured on the basis of some intermediate relationship spaces prior to the dwellings capable of being colonized as an extension of the domestic sphere. The houses, with double orientation, are organized by means of central nuclei of facilities, allowing greater possibilities of use. From the gender point of view, the arrangement of access control barriers, the transparency on the ground floor and the organization of the buildings itself, with cross visual and auditory connections, contribute to the perception of security in all spaces for interaction. The project includes an important photovoltaic surface of panels inclined 15º east-west on the roofs of both buildings, while in the subsoil the geothermal wells use the existing water table for energy exchange. In addition, the closures of each orientation precisely manage the relationship between natural light and radiation. The building is completed with the deciduous trees in the garden, which contribute to turning the whole complex into a precise self-sufficient thermal machine. To minimize maintenance costs throughout the useful life of the property, solutions of high durability and easy cleaning are combined; materials of ecological origin and low replacement cost; high wear resistance surfaces; vertical walls with simple periodic repainting; and a natural finish seen from the laminated wood and CLT ceilings with the surface layout of the installations. The structural set comprises the main order of a system of reinforced concrete porticos executed in-situ in the basement and ground floor, and a metallic structure in the upper floors. The industrialized horizontal structure is proposed using prestressed concrete alveolar plates in the exterior common spaces —guaranteeing the minimum amount of material used—, and for the interior closed spaces by means of a modular system of CLT panel joists —for the slabs and panels dividers— The production of sanitary hot water and air conditioning is carried out by means of a centralized geothermal system, which guarantees the comfort required in homes with the minimum energy cost and environmental impact. The geothermal heat pump extracts heat or cold from the ground depending on the season, providing domestic hot water and heating for the building. During the summer months, the heat pump reverses the process and provides cooling. The installation of low-temperature radiators in each home distributes the hot or cold water generated by the geothermal heat pump. To improve the energy efficiency of the system, a heat recovery system generated by the ventilation equipment is installed and used to heat the sanitary water or the water that is distributed through the radiators. To maximize the energy efficiency of the system, an automated control system is installed that regulates the water temperature based on the needs of each home and the outdoor weather conditions.