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Architects: COMA Arquitectura, Calderon-Folch Studio, Mario Nahra, Sarsanedas Arquitectura
- Area: 5045 m²
- Year: 2018
- Photographs: José Hevia
Text description provided by the architects. The new Centre for Comparative Medicine and Bio-Image holds a research center of the first order. A research facility based on ethical research criteria, technical and functional complexity, and comfort features that have been resolved in an efficient and sustainable way that strongly considers its relationship with the environment.
Landscape Integration Landscape integration is addressed by the implementation of the volume within the topography, the definition of an organic geometry and its materiality, as well as the naturalization of the exterior spaces. The uneven site shares a border with the forest at the highest level of the university campus. This unevenness is taken advantage of to generate a topographical building that connects the different levels whilst simultaneously defining its program internally, and making the building seem as small as possible. In this way the research floors, that require stable climatic conditions, are located practically underground, hidden and protected by a vegetated surface. The compact volume formed by round edges, integrates itself with the surrounding landscape through a curvilinear concavity that spans across the access plaza and an external organic wooden facade. Functionality The complex functional program and the technical requisites are addressed by generating two access levels. These two levels separate the entrance for people from the one for logistic purposes, simultaneously generating two functional areas: the Administrative Area and the Scientific-Technical Area. Likewise, this stratification of uses by levels, allows for the scientific activities to be separated from the maintenance ones, thus guaranteeing the optimal running of the center and strict requirements of biological containment. As a result, a technical floor level dedicated to the Scientific-Technical Area is constructed, where one can access all the amenities without interfering with the scientific-instructional activities.
Bio-Construction The facility uses materials with a low carbon footprint in order to minimize the CO2 emissions during the construction process. The building envelope is composed of a modular system made of a light-weight wooden framework, loose-fill cellulose, structural insulated panels and larch cladding without being treated over the 3,5-meter mark, and fireproof coated at the base. Prefabrication was used to produce the load-bearing structure to guarantee better quality, a minimal waste of material and to accelerate as much as possible the construction process. Energy Efficiency A compact design that reduces the amount of surface exposed to solar radiation. A design with facades and roof systems with high quality levels of thermal features, equipped with acclimatization systems with energy and air-flow recycling technologies, pumps, highly efficient secondary motors and loops, efficient and adjustable artificial lighting systems, etc. A 250 m² tank to manage and recycle rainwater for sanitary and irrigation purposes.
Bioconstrucción: Con el propósito de minimizar las emisiones de CO2 durante la construcción del edifico, se ha optado por el uso de materiales de poca huella ecológica. La envolvente se ha construido mediante un sistema modular de entramado ligero de madera, celulosa insuflada, aislamiento exterior de madera explosionada y revestimiento de alerce sin tratar por encima de los 3,5m e ignifugado en su base. Se opta por la prefabricación –también para la estructura portante- para garantizar una mayor calidad, el uso del mínimo material posible y acelerar al máximo el proceso constructivo. Eficiencia Energética: Un diseño compacto, que reduce la superficie expuesta a la radiación solar, con fachadas y cubiertas de elevadas prestaciones térmicas que se equipa con sistemas de climatización con recuperación de energía y caudal de aire variable (cuyo régimen de funcionamiento se adapta a las demandas reales, por sondas de NH3 y CO2), bombas, motores y circuitos secundarios de elevada eficiencia, sistemas de iluminación artificial eficientes y regulables; entre otros. Un depósito de 250m2 para la recuperación y gestión de agua pluviales para uso sanitario y riego, junto con la implantación de equipos sanitarios y sistemas eficientes representan también una reducción significativa de la demanda hídrica respecto a un edificio de referencia.
