whole presentation clicking below on “open publication”
Self-Sufficient Block
Trying have a look to the past, adapting the proposal to the Cerdá’s urban structure, in order to keep the own character of the city (not only adjusting the façades to the pre-existing grid maintaining the alingment of the streets, but also providing a big central courtyard working as public space inside the block, as the original thoughts of Ildefons Cerdá), the building also tries to look forward to the new paradigm of Self-Sufficient architecture.
Taking advantage of the solar energy as main and easiest renewable energy source to get in Barcelona, the building tries to orient itself to the position of the sun. Its form follows the sun tilting the main “roof-façade” into a proper angle for solar energy gathering, but also decrease its hight in the south part and increase it in the north part, in order to allow the best access to the solar daylight as possible to the whole building.
The characteristic element of this building, its tilted “roof-façade”, has been thought as a double skin which will contain a mixed system of photovoltaics panels and openings, based on Ecotect analysis and the own interior program, thus optimizing the position of panels and voids. Overheating inside the building will be also controlled through the double skin, allowing a natural flow of air through the gap between the interior and the exterior skin.