Software and Biotechnology Plants / Coll-Barreu Arquitectos

© Aleix Bagué

Architects: Coll-Barreu Arquitectos – Juan Coll-Barreu & Daniel Gutiérrez Zarza
Location: Derio, Spain
Structure: Mintegia y Bilbao
Mechanical & Electrical: Indotec
Client: Parque Tecnológico S.A.
Constructed area: 15,584.63 sqm
Budget: 15,840,071.43 €
Project year: 2005-2006
Construction year: 2005-2009
Photographs: Aleix Bagué

The Technology Park is a center of high technology industries turns 25 in 2010. For guidelines last phase of industrial growth decided to build two new buildings for research and production, respectively, computing and biotechnology. Both of them should work in complete independence, although the plan was considered in a unified way.

The model submitted to the competition proposed -with cedar, ebony and lemongrass- two soft insertions, no rough edges, lacking rotunda geometry –they are not circles or ellipses, or ovals-, whose perimeters should not be crossed even for access.

floor plan

Two compact buildings with a ductile envelope, as a mass of grass or a plant stem, which could have existed prior to the delineation of the road. The compactness and the façade of brushed planes allows to the eye of the moving beholder (the driver on the road, pedestrians on the sidewalks) to softly surround the objects.

The façade is a double ventilated skin that allows breath the building. It connects the interior and exterior and is capitalizing energy, climatic, hygienic and space for such an exchange. The space between the two membranes gives users a place of permanent relationship with the outside.

© Aleix Bagué

The façade is actually a vertical space that accompanies its full height, and provides natural light to both sides of the outer skin. It is a façade for North mist. Its light is the mist light, without shadows. The light is here as a continuous and weak material. The buildings lose their boundaries and not hurt the light.

© Aleix Bagué

Each user will occupy the interior according to their needs. But the construction of the façade will remain, and with it the most accurate, longer lasting elements. It is exposed the with its most naive and raw sincerity. sun visors are fixed with untreated stainless steel plates. Construction is a “no preservatives” one.

The exterior glass, which supports a soft pencil handmade drawing, provides a very smooth one way look, and completely open on the contrary.

Cite: "Software and Biotechnology Plants / Coll-Barreu Arquitectos" 08 Feb 2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 21 May 2013. <http://www.archdaily.com/49136>

13 comments

  6. Thumb up Thumb down 0

    Love the design and the spaces that it creates, but can’t stand the pavers on the exterior and the flooring on the interior.

    Reply
  9. Thumb up Thumb down 0

    I can see how the design fits biotechnology by bringing circular/cellish shapes into the theme. I also like facade, simple, but effective with some potential visual impact/interaction. Lumiges.com

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