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EDITORIAL
MEET OUR MAGAZINE
Symbiosis >>
Plateau Team
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“ ymbiosis borns from the hand of Plateau Team with the goal of providing quality information about current issues related to architecture and construction, and always creating a relationship with their project SymbCity developed for the next Solar Decathlon Europe.”
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P L A T E A U T EA M | SD E 2014
SOLAR DECATHLON EUROPE
Plateau Team is one of the twenty interna-
It is an academic competition which is orga-
Plateau Team proposes a change in the city model through a sustainable redensification which limits the current uncontrolled consumption of land.
The aim of the participant teams is to design and build a house that consumes the minimum amount of natural resources and produces the minimum waste during its life-cycle. Special interest is given to the reduction of energy consumption and the generation of the required energy from the sun. During the final stage of the competition the teams will build their houses in Versailles, in a public place named “La Cité du Soleil”.
tional teams selected to participate in the new Solar Decathlon Europe edition, to be held in Versailles. It is mainly composed by architecture students (UAH) and Building Engineering students (UAH and UCLM) together with the collaboration of other faculties and schools from these universities, which will provide their knowledge in order to cover all the necessary areas for the creation of an innovative solar habitat.
nized by the French Ministry of Housing in collaboration with the European Commission that promotes research in sustainable and self-sufficient energy housing development.
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S Y MB IOS IS T E A M MAGA Z INE | Editorial
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Summary >> Symbi sis EDITORIAL
ARTICLES
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Symbiosis. The Plateau Team Newsletter Green Walls
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Trombe Wall
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ETFE
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Solar Protection Systems
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Micronal PCM
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Stamisol FT381
ENVELOPE
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Symbcity House
PROJECTS
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Caixa Forum
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Snow House
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Eden Project
INTERVIEW
Campus Abengoa Meet our Team
Edit: Plateu Team for Solar Decathlon Europe2014. Address: “Press Team”. E-mail press.plateauteamsde14@gmail.com Drafting Articles and Projects: Elba Castellanos, Sergio Hernández, Carlos Pérez, Antonio González, Patricia Gil, Pablo Humanes and Javier Sols. Design and Layout: Sandra Urbaneja y Ana Isabel Urbaneja. Gratefulness: Ángel Cuadrado, Lucia Heras, Javier Núñez, Basf and Serge Ferrari. Monthly Edition in Spanish and English. May 2014 Free Publication for public use, online.
ARTICLE
The
Green Walls
“A green facade is a vertical installation of different species of indoor plants that are being cultivated in a special structure, giving the appearance of a garden on a vertical plane, it is also known as a vertical garden.“
What are the keys to this innovative creation? We can identify three main aspects: there are some
compartments between two sheets of fibrous material that allow plants to set their roots; Water supply is provided between the blades and can grow many different plant species; and finally a bacteria on the roots of the plants helps metabolize air impurities.
P L A T E A U T EA M | SD E 2014
The purpose of these walls is multiple, as they help to ‘beautify’ the urban landscape, but also serve to cool the air and reduce dryness. And they may even contribute to thermal comfort inside the building in which they are located, also acting as insulation and waterproofing element.
GR E E N WA LLS | Article
06 Plant walls are provided with five basic elements that allow its execution: 1. A structural base that supports all elements and materials that make up the green wall, and that attaches to the wall. This structure can be made out of wood, which must be waterproofed, or metal that has to be treated against corrosion. 2. The irrigation system that allows the development of vegetation. Drip irrigation is very appropriate because it reduces water consumption and perforated tubing systems easily adapt to various shapes and high altitudes. 3. A waterproofing layer is needed to protect humidity, in order to do so it’s necessary to a barrier element, for instance a polyethylene geomembrane. These are widely used for their ease of installation against fire. 4. The support of vegetation should be able to hold moisture in the roots. So the fabrics of various kinds are used, also for its ease of application. 5. And finally the substrate, which is the support on which the plant is grown. Your goal is for the plant to endure, and to hold water and nutrients the plant needs to grow. Materials that meet this objective, such as rock wool, tend to absorb the needed humidity and promote growth.
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“
“
The reference in Sustainable Insulation
“The sectors of the building and industry, should acc ept t heir share of responsibility and influence in global warming and the preservation of valuable energy resources.”
windows systems
[
“Install q uality window is critical to achieving good insulation. KOMMERLING you will keep with you the ideal temperature in your home with the maximum energy saving. You will enjoy being at home”
[
The European leader in prof ile
systems for windows and doors
GR E E N WA LLS | Article
Green wall has various systems for modulation of plant walls: The Patrick Blanc system superimposes the light elements of irrigation and substrate (Two layers of polyamide felt), thereby reducing the overall weight and high vegetation density (20 plants/m2). The Green Living Technologies system consists of modular panels with cells of various sizes, in aluminum or stainless steel. This variety allows you to design complex shapes with green walls A modular panel system, 60x60cm, with perforated metal panels that have an extruded polystyrene base are fixed to the wall using profiles, it includes automatic irrigation system. And finally the green Tresma system consisting of a wire netting with hexagonal mesh triple torsion PVC with coated galvanized.
“They not only help beautify the urban landscape, but also serve to cool the air and reduce dryness.�
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10 ARTICLE
The
Trombe Wall
“Passive Solar Design�
“The energy of the sun is a radiant heat source that promotes natural processes upon which all life depends. Some of these processes can be used by building design in a manner that helps the heating and cooling in buildings. The basic natural processes are the thermal energy flows associated with radiation, conduction, and natural convection. When sunlight falls upon a building, the building materials can reflect, transmit, or absorb the solar radiation. Furthermore, the heat produced by the sun causes air movement that can be a key designing parameter. These basic responses to solar heat lead to design elements, material choices and placements that can provide heating and cooling effects in construction. Passive solar energy means that mechanical devices are not employed to utilize solar energy. One of the elements that can be used to harness solar energy is the Trombe Wall. A Trombe wall is a system for indirect solar heat gain and, although not being extremely common, is still a good example of thermal mass, solar gain, and glazing properties used together to achieve human comfort goals through passive strategies. >> J.F. Tricaut-Solar Passive House. Font-Romeu, France-1982
P L A T E A U T EA M | SD E 2014
T R OMB E WA LL | Article
>> Lehm-Passivb端ro-Tattendorf, Austria 2005
It consists of a dark colored wall of high thermal mass facing the sun, with glazing spaced in front to leave a small air space. Trombe walls are thermal storage walls, named after the French inventor Felix Trombe. A typical Trombe wall consists of a 20 - 40cm thick masonry wall painted with a dark, heat-absorbing color and faced with a single or double layer of glass. The glass is placed in between 2 and 15cm away from the masonry wall to create a small airspace. Heat from sunlight passing through the glass is absorbed by the dark surface, stored in the wall, and conducted slowly inward through the masonry.
Its working process is based on the density difference of the hot air and cold air, which causes currents in either direction, depending on the flaps we open. These currents of hot or cool air, can heat or cool air by entering or removing hot air from the building or room where it is installed. The interior element works as thermal collector. By moving the heat away from the collection surface, it greatly reduces thermal losses at night and improves net heat gain. In summer months the interior vents are shut when the heat gain is not wanted. High specific heat materials are used for the collector surface (inner member), obtaining large heat capacity and thermal mass consequently.
The glass prevents the loss of radiant heat from the warm surface of the storage wall. The heat radiated by the wall is therefore trapped within the air gap, further heating the wall surface. For a 40cm thick Trombe wall, heat will take about 8 to 10 hours to reach the interior of the building. This means that the room behind remains comfortable through the day and receives slow, even heating for many hours after the sun sets. Such designs are ideal for use in houses, in living areas and bedrooms.
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- More than 135 years in the business of heating, also has a significant presence in the field of air conditioning and renewable energies. Vaillant Group,
“ It’s not what we do, it’s how you do feel ”
“Specialists in energy management and leaders in energy efficiency solutions”
T R OMB E WA LL | Article TROMBE WALL BENEFITS Installing a Trombe wall is a relatively inexpensive way to make your home more energy-efficient, helping you minimize your monthly heating bill. Not only is it easy on your wallet, it’s great for your health. By installing a Trombe wall you get evenly distributed, natural, and constant radiant heat throughout the year, while improving indoor air quality. This eliminates the need to rapidly blast your AC or heating system, thus decreasing the possibility of temperature shock to the body and reducing drafts. It also reduces the cost of materials due to easy installation that can be built with traditional materials easy to obtain, such as rammed earth, recycled crushed concrete and recycled glass. In addition to enjoying reduced heating bills and health benefits made possible by a Trombe wall, you can be environmentally friendly.
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14 ARTICLE
ETFE ethylene >>
Tetrafluoroethylene
<<
“A fluorine-based plastic”
“ETFE It is a thermoplastic fluoropolymer designed to have a high resistance to corrosion and a great stability in very wide thermal variation conditions.”
ETFE is an acronym for ethylene-Tetrafluoroethylene, being the material a copolymer of this molecule. Its approximate tensile strength is 42 N/ mm2 (6100 psi), with a working temperature range from 89 K to 423 K (-185ºC to 150ºC or -300ºF to 300ºF). It’s also a combustible, but nonflammable, material. In its combustion it releases hydrofluoric acid (HF), which is extremely corrosive and should be treated with care. It is most notable for its high resistance to ultraviolet rays. In an accelerated aging test (comparable to a 30 year exposure) there is almost no sign of deterioration of the film. This feature makes the ETFE a good alternative to glass in buildings. In addition, it’s easy to clean because it has a non-stick surface and it’s recyclable.
P L A T E A U T EA M | SD E 2014
E T F E | Article If we compare it with to glass, it is lighter and allows more light in; and when configured as double blade or â&#x20AC;&#x153;pillowâ&#x20AC;? it has one higher insulating capacity. However, it can be damaged by sharp elements, so it is mainly used for ceilings, although, if torn, each element could be repaired with a hot patch of the same material. The most common way to use it in architecture is in sheet form. It is able to stretch up to three times its length without any loss of elasticity.
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The Centre for Smart Infrastructure Innovation (CI3) is a public sector entity, general inter est and non-profit whose purpose is to contribute to the development, promotion and development of information techn o l o g y a n d communications (ICT) applied to infrastructure
E T F E | Article APPLICATIONS The use of this material in architecture is mainly in tensile structures, both monolayered and doublelayered. The materialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popularity is due to its use as inflatable pneumatic panels, and its versatility in sizes and shapes. These cushions are made by two or more prestressed blades with intermediate air chambers, which are fixed to a light substructure (steel, aluminum, or tensioned cables) that is subsequently supported by the primary structure of the building. It should be noted that the cushions need a semi-continuous pressure air to maintain its stability, so this type of skin is necessarily accompanied by an air supply system, connected to the valves that the panels should incorporate.
In many cases this set-up is complemented by an intelligent system that automatically adjusts the level of pressure pads, allowing a certain play with the secrecy and transparency of the envelope depending on the ex terior solar energy, as it happens with the Media TIC building in Barcelona. Another key use of ETFE is as covering for electric cables and optical fiber, used in high voltage wiring in aircrafts and spacecrafts. It is commonly used in the aviation, aerospace and nuclear industry, since the material exhibits a great resistance to high-energy radiation and can withstand high temperatures for a long period of time.
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ARTICLE
Solar
Protection Systems “Light spectrum”
“Solar light and its different wave lengths produce diverse effects on architecture, therefore control over it becomes basic for the design of different spaces.”
Visible light, the wave length range that allows us to perceive color and shape of the objects we are looking at, is necessary for life and much cheaper than artificial illumination, therefore getting the maximum amount of solar light inside the building would help us to save large amount of energy needed to lighten up dark spaces. The problem comes with the rest of wave lengths in solar radiation. Infrared light that comes from the Sun can excite air molecules when kept in a closed space rising air temperature. This phenomenon is called green-house effect and it is one consideration we should when designing space. When a space whose envelope is permeable to solar radiation (such as glass or plastic) is not well ventilated, air containing within this boundary will be heated due to infrared radiation accumulation that could come in but cannot come out. Sometimes this effect can be used to heat up spaces, but due to the low thermal mass of used materials, during the absence of solar radiation (or night-time), this spaces would become very cold and with have large energetic losses, which makes them not desirable for residential use.
P L A T E A U T EA M | SD E 2014
S OLA R PR OT E C T ION S Y S T E MS | Article
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In places of the world where solar radiation is abundant, like Spain, the control over it becomes essential to achieve warm spaces during the winter and cool and protected from the Sun spaces during the summer.
That is why solar protection seeks the azimuth, letting the solar radiation inside the building in winter, giving its precious infrared radiation to the inside, and avoiding it in summer, keeping cool the air that in, and reducing cooling costs.
These passive systems for solar protection are commonly used as strips, horizontal elements organized sequentially, that can intercept solar radiation when the Sun is in its highest peak of its path and can be permeable to it in those moments when Sun leans closer to the horizon.
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always around you
Heating and cooling radiant ceiling Zehnder. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The good air comes from above ...â&#x20AC;?
S OLA R PR OT E C T ION S Y S T E MS | Article
Also, cornices can be used over the window voids with the same aim. For these, we have to use a bigger cantilever over the façade in order to achieve enough shade to cover the hole from solar radiation. There is also a special glass, tinted and serigraphed that allows to filter solar radiation to control its way through the inside of the building, such as the ones used in the 80’s and 90’s office buildings, that through reflection and tint a better thermal behavior is achieved. This glass has a big influence in the materiality of the envelope and, might lead to reflection on the surrounding buildings. Alternatives glasses are being developed. The objective would be then to let the whole visible light spectrum in and to absorb of the rest.
“That is why solar protection seeks the azimuth, letting the solar radiation inside the building in winter, giving its precious infrared radiation to the inside, and avoiding it in summer, keeping cool the air that in...”
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ARTICLE
Micronal PCM wax in the wall
for a pleasant indoor climate
“BASF’s phase change material Micronal® PCM effectively absorbs daytime temperature peaks”
Summer, sun, sunshine – although much longed for throughout the winter months, they can soon become too much of a good thing when they arrive. Especially modern houses of lightweight construction and office complexes of steel and glass with a transparent frontage creating a greenhouse effect can turn into a sauna overnight. One solution is offered by BASF with Micronal® PCM, a microencapsulated latent heat storage based on paraffin wax which – when integrated in construction materials – absorbs excess heat. The effectiveness of Micronal® PCM as a thermal buffer is due to the physical phenomena that occur when the wax changes from the solid to the liquid state. During this phase transition, a large amount of thermal energy – known as latent heat – is absorbed without the temperature of the material itself changing. This is the same effect which
P L A T E A U T EA M | SD E 2014
is so welcome on sweltering hot days when the ice cubes in a drink absorb large amounts of heat when melting, effectively keeping the drink cool for a long time. Naturally, the temperatures in private homes and offices don’t have to be quite so icy, which is why BASF’s development experts chose high purity paraffin waxes instead of water as latent heat storage (also known as phase change materials or PCM), and optimized their melting point to suit the specific climatic requirements of buildings. The waxes contained in Micronal® PCM melt at 23 or 25 degrees Celsius depending on the application. On melting, they absorb excess heat from the environment, thereby preventing the room temperature from rising further. At night, when the outside temperatures fall, the heat bound when the wax solidifies is released again and the heat storage is ready for a new summer’s day.
HOW MICRONAL PCM WORKS So much for the physical theory. But how can melting wax be safely integrated in practice into construction materials like wall plaster, mortar or gypsum boards? “Our solution is microencapsulation”, replies Marco Schmidt of BASF’s Dispersions & Pigments division. “We enclose microscopically small droplets of wax in a virtually indestructible acrylic polymer shell that withstands even drilling and sawing.
MIC R ONA L PC M | Article
MICRONAL PCM IN POWDER FORM The wax cannot leak out of this impenetrable capsule and the Micronal® PCM products satisfy all the building and environmental regulations.” With a particle size of a few micrometers, the tiny capsules can be readily integrated either as a dispersion or powder into construction materials. Depending on the material, a Micronal® PCM content of 20 percent or higher is possible. The cooling effect of about 3 to 4 degrees Celsius achievable with the innovative Micronal® PCM products is almost equivalent to that provided by conventional air conditioning systems which are usually designed to create a temperature difference of 6 degrees Celsius. OPTIMIZED ROOM TEMPERATURE WITH MICRONAL® PCM This makes cooling units either completely superfluous, or at least they can be made much smaller”, comments Dr. Peter Schossig of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg, with which BASF has been closely cooperating in developing PCM since 1999. Unlike air conditioners, Micronal® PCM is also completely maintenance free, emphasizes Schossig. The Fraunhofer researchers performed stress tests in which they subjected the material to about 10,000 melting and solidifying cycles to simulate a 30-year-period of continuous use. “These tests revealed no impairments of function or material”, adds Schossig. This corresponds to Quality Level A of the RAL Seal of Quality PCM. In the last 10 years, Micronal® PCM has successfully made the transition from the laboratory into practical use. This is on one hand reflected by several commercial or residential buildings equipped with Micronal PCM which are in use today. The main factor is that numerous ready to use construction materials incorporating Micronal® PCM are commercially available. Kindergarten Lukids with Micronal PCM temperature management concept
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ARTICLE
Stamisol FT 381
a solution of faรงade that opens up new perspectives!
STAMISOL FT 381 is a technical solution for coatings in construction. This solution is appealing for its effectiveness, its technical performance, reliabilit y and longevit y. It presents all the economic and technical benefits to convince bidders and investors: guaranteed durability, excellent energy balance, optimum thermal regulation of the building due to its solar protection properties, minimum maintenance costs and a 100% recyclable material that uses the Texyloop technology The faรงade STAMISOL FT 381, consisting of a mesh of high-tenacity polyester with PVC coating, presents an opening factor of the 28% that offers a full transparency to the outside while allowing excellent heat control. This mesh is fixed on various
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types of supports created to respond to the most diverse requirements, offering total freedom in the realization of volumes, shapes and curves. Adapts to any kind of use: administrative, cultural or tertiary buildings, shopping centres, sports centres, communities, industrial buildings, parking outdoor... STAMISOL FT 381 is manufactured according to the technology Precontraint, a unique patented process which consists of exercising a prestress to the fabric throughout its cycle of manufacture and coating. This exclusive procedure produces tissues with a great dimensional stability and extremely resistant to tearing and deformation.
En Ciudad del Cabo, la protección solar Soltis
permite disfrutar de las vistas
CREATIVITY IN ITS PUREST FORM: THE FAÇADE «3D»
• 27 colors, grouped in 5 thematic families that respond to current trends. • A reversible fabric with a metallic/pearly face and a matte one. A sample created jointly with architects and specialists from the color. • A surface that gives free reign to graphic design for the customization of façades, or transformations into authentic supports of communication (possibility of digital printing or silk screen printing). • Combined with STAMISOL COLOR as a protector against the rain, STAMISOL FT 381 gives the façade a changing reflection, thus multiplying the creative possibilities in pastels and vivid colors. • The lightness of the fabric STAMISOL FT381 can also adapt to any façade, enabling a finish turns the building into ‘sculpture’. • The incorporation of lighting inside or in front of the façade allows creating added chromatic effects and enhancing the architectural lines.
S TA MIS OL F T 3 8 1 | Article
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Esta vivienda, situada en el número 33 de la Avenida António Augusto de Aguiar (un lugar privilegiado en el corazón de Lisboa con vistas a la desembocadura del Tajo y a la plaza Marqués de Ponbal), espera ser un referente para las futuras construcciones de esta tipología, ya que cuenta con Una increíble panorámica a través de un gran ventanal. un peso específico muy bajo y ha tenido en cuenta Estas ventanas están equipadas con membranas Soltis 86 un filtro dehasta la radiación a la vez que preservan desdeque susondiseño susolar, ejecución, técnicas espelas vistas del exterior. Proporcionan un ambiente luminoso, cíficas para construcción modular y de transporte sin efectos de deslumbramiento y limitando la entrada de calor del exterior. que permiten la rápida ejecución de la misma soSiga nuestros proyectos en bre la cubierta de sergeferrari.com un edificio ya construido.
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“The recycling of glass: the products can be recycled, glass is an ecological, natural and durable material.” Environmental Policy
Saint-Gobain Glass, international organization, encompassing all the related glass for the construction industry in all countries activities.
EnTown, Ciudad del Cabo, In Cape Solar la Protection Soltis solar Soltis protección allows you to enjoy permite the most disfrutar beautiful views. de las vistas más hermosas.
S TA MIS OL F T 3 8 1 | Article
THERMAL COMFORT AND ENERGY SAVING Solutions for façades are part of a continuous search for profitable thermal regulation of buildings. From this viewpoint, the ventilated façade is the key to high global energy efficiency, both in summer and in winter. With STAMISOL FT 381, the ventilated facade offers particularly interesting results and this without even taking into account thermal insulation. According to physical measurements carried out in Germany by a competent body, STAMISOL FT 381 reduces upto 15 to 18% heat loss and thus contributes, in winter, to the well-being of the occupants. In summer, STAMISOL FT 381 prevents overheating. The contribution of outside heat in the building varies according to the color and their level of absorption, thanks to STAMISOL FT 381, blocked solar energy is of at least 75% with a Solar Factor between a 19 and 25%. Thus, in California, the reform of a façade has shown objectively the advantages of this solution: before the renovation, the building had two air conditioning systems running continuously throughout the year; after the renovation and the installation of a textile façade, energy costs dropped by 64%.
“tissues with a great dimensional stability and extremely resistant to tearing and deformation...”
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28 The Building
Envelope
“Symbcity House”
The building envelope is an important part of the building regarding energy efficiency and the behavior of building’s passive actions. It’s the “skin” of the building, the part that marks the border between inside and outside and therefore it must meet minimum requirements for water tightness, insulation, etc.
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Sy mb io si s | 28 S Y MB C IT Y H OUS E | En v elope
ENVELOPE
S ymbCity
House is a fast and industrialized construction. The whole system has been built following the balloon-frame system, made entirely with wood based materials. We introduce an innovative system of industrialized wall sections. With this system transport and execution are cheap and fast, reducing the energy waste during the construction period.
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INTERVENTION PROCESS 1. The building is described and studied in detail. A specific intervention is proposed adapted for that typology. 2. Unnecessary structures of the building, as roofs and exterior stairs, are demolished. 3. The new wood structure is built.
S Y MB C IT Y H OUS E | En v elope 4. Introduction of new vertical access cores, communicated by galleries.
or expanded by the owners. Those interventions have to be adapted to the rules planned in that specific project.
5. Once all structure and galleries are built, a new facade is constructed. That new skin improves the insulation of the building.
7. New dwellings are built on the rooftop of the existing building. Those new houses could replace ground floor houses.
6. At the same time, or in any time in the future, the existing housing could be optionally remodeled and/
8. Ground floor level could be adapted for new uses.
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ENVELOPE
The heating and cooling system are based on a low temperature radiant ceiling, with very low heat and electricity consumptions. Besides, the constant monitoring of the house activates a series of simple mechanisms in order to take advantage of external conditions, or to protect the house against them. The walls of the building are composed of thick layers of insulating material, achieving passives standards, while Phase Change Materials on the internal side of the wall keep a balanced indoor temperature without extra energy waste.
P L AT E AU TE A M | SD E 2014
S Y MB C IT Y H OUS E | En v elope
Solar gains are carefully controlled by eaves and other sun-shading devices. This way, we obtain a good balance between passive and active energy saving strategies, achieving a nearly-zero energy consumption. The south facade is crucial for solar thermal energy storage, but this is dangerous when cooling is necessary indoors. In consequence, the bedroom south faรงade is not completely open, and it is protected from direct solar radiation by the roof eaves. The living core, as well as the bedroom has a door to a private terrace in the south but it is mainly opened towards the multifunctional room which is a very bright room and a transition space between inside and outside. The multifunctional room is a very flexible space. It can be adapted depending of the changing of seasons. It becomes a cold place in summer, with sun shading, cross ventilation and a vertical garden which keeps the air fresh. During the cold months, the envelope is completely closed, becoming a greenhouse which provides extra heating to the house.
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ENVELOPE
P L AT E AU TE A M | SD E 2014
S Y MB C IT Y H OUS E | En v elope The multifunctional room interior design offers a continuous gradual compartmentalization between the living core and the bedroom, reflecting the outside on the inside and vice versa. Although it features exterior design elements such as a vertical garden, it is the third room of the house and not just an auxiliary outdoor space. This multifunctional room is fully adjustable, from totally opened to totally closed. When all the windows and the doors are closed, it starts working as a greenhouse due to the glass enclosure, becoming a free heat generator. During warm days in summer, the glass envelope is completely opened and it is the natural ventilation that keeps the atmosphere cold.
comfortable. On the east faรงade, protection against direct solar radiation is necessary in order to achieve a good temperature control. In this wall, a double vertical garden keeps fresh and humid air and low transmittances both outdoor and indoor. The main concerns we have about housing lighting are to use the maximum benefit of natural light, the suitable comfort conditions, the energy efficiency and create different and comfortable ambience according to the architecture design.
On the rooftop, the room has a system of mechanized slats which are oriented towards the sun throughout the year. They let the sunbeams penetrate indoors during the winter, heating the space. We open it in summer, keeping the room fresh and
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PROJECT
Caixa Forum
36
HERZOG & DE MEURON ARCHITECTS GREEN WALL DESIGN BY PATRICK BLANC
The
Caixa Forum is conceived as an urban magnet attracting not only art lovers but all the people in and around Madrid.
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6
C A IXA F OR UM | P roject
The attraction is not just Caixa Forum cultural program, but also the building itself, as it is off the ground in apparent defiance of the laws of gravity. The Caixa Forum-Madrid is in an advantageous site facing the Paseo del Prado and Botanical Garden, in up to now occupied by structures unspectacular urban area, the Central Electric Power station and a gas station. The brick walls of the old classified power station now converted into CaixaForum are reminiscent of the industrial age in Madrid. In dividing the Paseo del Prado, rises a large vertical garden without gaps, and 15,000 m2 of 460 250 species of plants built by botanist Patrick Blanc.
The metal structure supporting the wall, going slightly off the building to create an air and get a barrier to root growth on the party wall. On this structure, a plastic sheet and a layer of polyamide felt, for a total thickness of about one meter. Are nineteen meters length and height twenty. Although it may seem it is not a heavy installation (about 30 kg per m2). The Irrigation layer polyamide is a sheet 3 mm thick, which is inserted into the PVC. It is on this rot felt with large capillary power and water retention on which the plants grow. Irrigation is by a perforated tube in the top of the wall. The distribution of water and nutrient solution is made by a solenoid programmed.
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Uponor is a leading international solutions for
fluid handling in building and HVAC solutions Invisible. for residential, non-residential and industrialsector.inEuropeandtheUnitedStates.â&#x20AC;?
C A IXA F OR UM | P roject The green wall Caixa Forum, is now a landmark of the city of Madrid. The irrigation design and its recovery has meant a savings of over 50% water consumption than expected. It is a new concept of using vertical garden as a means of artistic expression more. Patrick Blanc says that his work is not a garden because you can not walk through it, but rather a mural made â&#x20AC;&#x2039;â&#x20AC;&#x2039;with vegetable elements.
This time species of native plants (Cornus sanguinea, Lonicera pileata, Dianthus deltoides, Cedrus deodora, Yucca filamentosa, Cistus Purpureus, Sedum alpestre, Pilosella auriantiaca, Arenaria montana, takesimana Campanula) combined with foreign species, whose characteristics have been able to to meet the demanding climate of Madrid, as the original Bergenia Cordifolia Siberia. >> DOCUMENTATION AND PHOTOGRAPHS THANKS TO
Patrick Blanc system allows plants to survive without land, only water and nutrients. These come through the pipe network directly to the roots, which lie between a plastic film and the polyamide layer of felt, fixed with staples.
HERZOG & DE MEURON ARCHITECTS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BOTANIST PATRICK BLANC PATRIC BLANC.
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PROJECT
40
Snow House DESIGN BY EMILIO MARÍN, NICOLAS DORVAL-BORY & JUAN CARLOS LÓPEZ
Snow House is a sustainable house for winter sports up
on the hills of the Santiago, Chile, designed by Emilio Marín & Juan Carlos López Huerta for a competition.
P L AT E A U T EA M | SD E 2014
S NOW H OUS E | P roject
The program is a mountain refuge, located on a steep terrain. This exemplarily functional and energetic efficient type of vernacular habitat is an indispensable reference for such a project, much more than a traditional second home in the hills. Like a refuge or a traditional ch창let, the project fits into the site seeking primarily to protect itself from cold, which can be particularly strong on the hills of Santiago. The refuge, whose function is to accommodate guests engaged in winter sports during the day, has to be a friendly and warm but easy place to use, since its goal is to dine and rest. Thus, the project is organized around a squared plan, allowing flexibility of use and architectural efficiency.
Thus, the project is organized around a squared plan, allowing flexibility of use and architectural efficiency. This compact design allows a maximum optimization of the concrete blocks but also a very low coefficient of heat loss. To retain maximum heat, the house is settled the closest to the ground, with no overhang. The central courtyard is designed as a buffer space, generating a variation in the organization of the program while providing a significant supply of light and fresh air in summer. The functional distribution of space is organized according to the most suitable temperature for each activity, playing with the different levels allowed by the natural slope.
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S NOW H OUS E | P roject To heat the house, we use two passive systems, coupled together. - Geothermal heat pump: fresh air is pumped from outside the house, south side, then it is filtered and flows through an underground pipe, warmed by geothermal energy of the ground, always around 16 째 C. In its way in, new air shares a common circuit with the extracted stale air of the house. The indoor air (+/- 19째C) then transmits its energy to the incoming fresh air (>0째C). - Trombe Wall: developed by the French engineer Felix Trombe, this system is to harness solar energy in two complementary ways. During the day, fresh air is heated by greenhouse effect between a glass wall and a dark wall. During the night, by phase shift, the heat stored in the high thermal inertia wall (double layer of 15cm blocks) is redistributed through radiation. The system is controlled by motorized valves to prevent a reverse flow of air overnight.
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SYMBIOSIS
PROJECT
Eden Project BY GRIMSHAW ARCHITECT
The
Eden Project is an environmental center in Cornwall, England, opened to the general public in 2001.The finished structure is an unprecedented accomplishment a giant, multi-domed greenhouse, containing plants from around the globe.
P L AT EA U T E A M | SD E 2014
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E D E N | P roject
The site has already become a popular tourist destination, attracting thousands of visitors every day. The project comprises three biomes, areas designed to represent three distinct climates found around the world. The first biome emulates a tropical environment, the second a Mediterranean environment, and the third biome is an open area with diverse plant life from the temperate Cornwall area, as well as similar climates. Edenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designers decided not to use traditional materials in their greenhouses. ETFE foil is a perfect skin for a greenhouse (strong, transparent and lightweight. A piece of ETFE weighs less than 1 percent of a piece of glass with the same volume.
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PROJECT
LUMINAIRES + ETFE The Eden Project designers created from this ETFE material extremely sturdy panels, each composed of three sheets of ETFE foil. And each panel is attached to a web of interlocking steel tubes. Each dome actually has two web layers, one with hexagonal and pentagonal panels and one with triangular panels. The total Eden structure uses 625 hexagons, 16 pentagons and 190 triangles.
P L A T E A U T EA M | SD E 2014
Finally it should be nodded the use of lights (fluorescent tubes, leds) in ETFE panels, that has also been used to great success rise in some facades such as the Allianz Arena, or the Water Cube in Beijing. Allianz Arena lighting consists of over 25,000 fluorescent tubes and 4,250 individual lights. Of the nearly 2,800 existing panels, 1,056 can be lit, and when they do, they produce a lighted area of 25.500m2.
E D E N | P roject Each sheet contains four identical ETFE lights, installed in pairs between two lenses forming panels. Meanwhile, fluorescent tubes form groups of six and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re assigned each 3.5 m membrane. An asymmetric parabolic mirror is added to ensure uniform illumination in each panel. The fluorescent luminaries, both domestic and industrial, have high energy efficiency.
This amazing material can form giant colored surfaces and varied forms. It is a good idea to use the indoor air as Smudger of light due to cost issues. In addition to add expression to the architecture, it has climatic comfort properties. And It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only work as cladding, but it can also be used as building material.
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PROJECT
Palmas Altas Campus Abengoa BY RICHARD ROGERS ARCHITECT
Abengoa’s Palmas Altas Campus, designed by the british architect
Richard Rogers, (2007 Pritzker Pirze award winner). The project is a collaboration with the Spanish firm Videal y Asociados Arquitectos (Ma- drid), Juan Fernández Car- bonell Studio (Sevilla) and the engineering company Arup.
P L A T E A U T EA M | SD E 2014
C A MPUS A B E NGOA | P roject
Palmas
Altas Campus is an initiative promoted by th Sevilla city council, that allows Abengoa to concentrate its activity in the southern Spanish city. Their main focus is advanced technologies, environmental excellence and sustainable development. Abengoa’s new headquarters promote the use of environmental technologies to reduce energetic consumption.
The actual built surface is 50000 square meters, 30000 of them occupied by Abengoa and 16300 reserved for other companies and institutions. The rest, 3700 square meters are used as public space.
The Palmas Altas Campus is comprised of seven (4+3) block buildings in between 2 and 4 floors grouped in two areas, organized around a central park. The headquarters lis set on 42100 square meters lot, that limits with “Los Bermejales” neighbour- hood, the SE-30 highway belt and Bellavista neigh- bourhood.
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PROJECT
The Campus’ green spaces have been designed by the landscaper María Medina and the architect Gregorio Marañón, that have created a series of singular spaces, that represent the traditional values of the hispanic-arabic gardens, which favore a pleasent surrounding, respectful with the environment and that coexist peacefully with Richard Roger’s architecture. The objectives of the new headquarters were: sustainability and the use of cutting-edge technology. The project counts on last generation environ mental technologies that contribute to maximize self-consumption of electricity: photovoltaic panels, that transform solar light into electricity, and a trigenerating plant that can produce electricity cold and heat simultaneously, a Stirling disc, and hidrogen batteries that generate additional energy.
P L A T E A U T EA M | SD E 2014
C A MPUS A B E NGOA | P roject The aim of Abengoa in this sense is clear: minimize energy consumption up to 50% and to reduce progressively CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Abengoa has achieved, with an innovative design and sustainable architecture in its new headquarters, the recognition from the Green Builidng Council that, in October 2008, gave the Palmas Altas Campus the Leed Platinum precertification.
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INTERVIEW
MEET OUR TEAM MEMBERS
Plateau Team >>
Construction Manager
S: Given the width of the walls of SymbCity House depends on the thickness of the ecological insulating layer, wouldn’t it be more effective to use other types of insulation? P: The insulation that composes SymbCity House walls is a mineral wool; another type of insulation would provide us better performance with less thickness; however the choice of materials should take into account the environmental impact. In the end, 5cm of thickness of wall means less CO2 emissions, and we think that it is better increasing the walls.
S: What benefits are obtained from a wooden skin compared to other kinds of materials, for instance a brick skin? P: Like a brick skin, the wooden skin is also structural, which helps at during construction. On the other hand, the advantage of wood is that first you forms the skeleton, opening gaps when and wherever you want, without using any other material. The system is complete filling with insulation and closing on both sides, so it is much easier to construct than other types, such as the brick. Moreover, it is easily modifiable if you have made a mistake.
P L A T E A U T EA M | SD E 2014
Patricia Mendieta León S: What benefits does a green wall offer? Does it work well for all the latitudes? P: In our case it refreshes the environment. Opening the two windows located at both ends of the green wall, the cross-circulation renews the air in this space. We should be especially careful with it, because being inside the greenhouse makes for high temperatures at certain times of the day, which can adversely affect them. On the other hand, the latitude influences mainly in the selection of the plants that you put inside, taking into account temperature and humidity.
S: What advantages are obtained with the use of an area of the House whose enclosure is the same as that of a greenhouse? With the addition of a greenhouse in the housing area you build up heat from the outside. During cold periods, the greenhouse will be closed throughout the day, opening up communication with the rest of the house only at the end of the day.
ME E T OUR T E A M | I n terv iew In this way, the accumulated heat enters into the habitable space without needing any impulse, and allowing the conditioning systems to remain switched off.
S: What importance does the insulation have within the envelope? P: Insulation is the core of the envelope, without it, the house would be open to the outside. Traditionally, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t commonly used in construction, which is why there is a need for rehabilitation in a large amount of housing, in order to integrate it, because their spending on heating, as well as the noise it is high.
P: In current design, the envelopes havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been treated as they should be. Standards have been taken into account, and things have been adjusted, especially in the thermal behavior of the whole, but without taking into account their behavior in the long run, nor their orientation. In the future there will be modifications in the legislation, some already underway, that will make the thermal requirements more restrictive, to avoid excessive energy consumption derived from a bad design of the skin.
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In SymbCity House, we integrate large layers of insulation, that prevent cold or extreme heat to enter the house, and that also manages to prevent it to flee the house.
S: What do you think is the relevance skins and coatings have in architectural design nowadays? What do you think will have in the future?
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BUILDING A GREAT TEAM
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