Contemporary

We do not fail to insist on the inadequacy of resorting to nearly completely glassed façades in our climate. That said, and letting ourselves get carried away by formal issues, we can only applaud the wise decision to force imperfection.

From a constructional point of view, this façade solution is quite similar to the one which the same architects have used in the office building in 22@. We just want to highlight the effectiveness that these mouldings may have if we compare them to those used in the building mentioned previously.

Again, we can see a nearly completely glazed façade that faces northwest.

The purpose of this decision can be clearly understood when you get inside one of the classrooms behind the façade. Despite the shallowness of the plot, inside the classroom you feel that the space is wider. Aragon Street is the background added to the room. 66.1 AC/16/88.1 AC glass is designed to prevent excessive noise. Thermal loses are again the weak point. 

The term “conventional” is really poor when we refer it to such an exceptional façade. However, considering the taxonomical criteria we are using on this platform: the material form of the façade supporting element is amorphous, and the watertightness mechanism is by material barrier. Besides, the watertightness function and the supporting one are solved over the same element so the classification is clear.

Have a look to the study of Profiled metal sheets for the free design of continuous enclosures for more information about the technical approach and the video that Hector Orozco sent us for the sensitive view!

Sober architecture but a confusing solution.

Which is the main façade layer in this concrete façade? The 8 cm think concrete panel or the brick wall? 

The relationship between the façade enclosure and the structure is a recurring theme in Batlle and Roig’s work.

In the CMT headquarters the structure is located offset from the façade to allow free development of a nearly entirely glazed envelope.

This is a unitized façade system, which means a completely prefabricated curtain wall solution. A panel is used with all the onsite mounting benefits that panels can have. What is more it is light, so big components can be used that are perhaps two stories high. During preassembly, all the façade layers can be incorporated into the same frame, and thus into a single panel.

The search for almost completely continuous glazing across the façade has led to a potential fire hazard through the possible spread of fire between floors. In this case, this problem is solved by offsetting the glass panel by several centimetres. 

A group of residential buildings in Torrelago district, Laguna de Duero (Valladolid), has been refurbished in the context of the European Programme CITyFIED: Replicable and Innovative Future Efficient Districts and Cities. The renovation addresses both the image of the buildings and energy factors.