A space that generates places of opportunity. "A Ramallosa" Service Center by MRM arquitectos + AVG

Description of project by MRM arquitectos

In the Galician rural environment, dispersed and discontinuous, the Service Center is conceived as one more endowment for its population, both for its architectural uniqueness and the treatment of the place and the enhancement of nature. The building is established with the vocation of becoming a new meeting space in a privileged natural environment.

At the same time, the project is part of the line of experimentation and R+D+I of a company that has 17 service stations and that, given the uncertainty about the future of the business model based on the sale of fossil fuels, seeks a new approach and to create new user experiences.

Thus, the project is conceived as a space that generates places of opportunity. A flexible and highly versatile building, in continuous transformation and capable of assuming the changing needs that arise, permeable and in contact with nature, which seeks to establish its sustainable corporate image.

Taking into account the topographic conditions of the plot, the intervention generates two different levels differentiated by breakwater walls of large granite blocks. The upper level, at the same level as the access road, houses the actual services: the esplanade and access plaza, the large parking area, the supermarket - with views over the slope descending with profuse trees - and the cafeteria - whose terrace overhangs the built limit and opens onto the landscape. The lower level, on the other hand, follows the slope of the terrain and will house the play and recreation area among the existing forest and vegetation.

This is a project integrated into the environment, with a single floor, built using a flexible system of wooden boxes and a plane that covers the open public space and is open to the landscape. It is in this central space where the supermarket and the cafeteria are located, while in the opaque and perimeter wooden volumes alternate the service spaces of toilets, warehouses, office, workshop, or facilities.

The structural and constructive conception of the building is of great internal coherence: the four volumes of the light timber frame structure, support the central roof, made of metal profiles in two planes (as a stereo cover, with perimeter supports). The central space, with a span of 9.60 m, is completely open and without intermediate supports, making it a highly versatile and polyvalent space.

The aim of the project was not only to design a building but to establish an INNOVATIVE SYSTEM, which would allow from small minimal extensions in existing buildings to the configuration of a service center. A system based on both constructive and programmatic duality, and on the optimization of usable surfaces, as opposed to traditional construction systems that use greater thickness and waste.

On the other hand, the approach of the Service Center has sought to generate spaces of high quality and comfort for both users and employees, with the introduction of the premises of biophilic design (a relatively new concept that explores the relationship between the use of natural materials in design and architecture with benefits for people's health, well-being, and comfort). In this case, the use of natural materials such as wood, and the transparency and openness of the building, in direct contact with nature, are resources that undoubtedly delve into this area.

We have opted for dry and industrialized construction, favored by the strict modulation that organizes the floor plan and that, together with the constructive simplicity, allows a quick execution, concentrating the effort in a few well-resolved details.

The building has taken special care in the sustainable values of its construction and has been designed for minimum waste generation, reducing the building's impact and carbon footprint. It has obtained the certification of Very Good of the BREEAM sustainable construction standard, and the letter A in energy efficiency, with negative energy consumption and zero emissions.

THE USE OF WOOD IN THE BUILDING

The general approach of the building, as well as all its details and constructive solutions, reveal a clear commitment to the use of wood (structure, cladding, false ceilings, and finishes) and its derivatives, such as technical panels (interior paneling volumes of wood).

Below we detail those elements made of wood that show the leading role that wood has acquired in the building:
 

- The interior space is delimited by four volumes made entirely of wood (light wood framing solution of Pine, Pinus sylvestris, and structural boards Superpan TECH P5, which support the metal structure (modular system of metal profiles from square modules of 2.40 m side), stereotype, covering the central space.

The roofs of these volumes, as well as the support for their interior vinyl flooring, were made of 19 mm and 6 mm phenolic plywood board, respectively.
 

- These volumes are clad on all their facades, both interior and exterior, with boards of heat-treated pine wood, Pinus sylvestris, finished in Rubio's Wood Cream No. 7 black wax, measuring 2550 x 145 x 20 mm on the interior and 4200 x 140 x 20 mm on the exterior. In both cases, it was placed on double framing (horizontal dowels and battens of Pinus sylvestris pine, autoclave-treated class IV). The access doors to the various rooms were also clad with heat-treated wood boards.

- Interior wood partition walls (since there are very few partitions within the wood volumes and they are finished with technical boards), it was decided to change the project specifications and build them with pine wood frames, Pinus sylvestris, autoclave-treated class IV. The interior paneling was made with COMPACMEL compact boards and black fireproof MDF screwed together.

- False ceiling made of pine slats, Pinus sylvestris, section 20 x 100 mm.

- Furniture: countertops of the cafeteria, lining and display cabinet of the cash registers, and special products shelves lined with "Pinus sylvestris" laminated board.

In the choice of these wood finishes, priority was given to the modern, sustainable and environmentally friendly image that the company wanted to convey, in addition to achieving high acoustic and visual comfort in the interior, conveying a warmer, more domestic, and unique image to users, with noble materials and a simple and careful design.

In addition, the incorporation of wood at the structural and finishing level has made it possible to:

- Improve the energy performance of the building.

- Improve the acoustic performance of the supermarket and cafeteria space, generating an attractive image that gives a glimpse of the construction solution used, the roof, and highlights the building's modulation and architectural order.

- Improve the scores of all the items evaluated in the BREEAM certification (Sustainable Building Standard) concerning the life cycle, waste, use of certified wood, energy efficiency, acoustic performance, etc...

- Achieve a better integration of the new volume with the landscape and beautiful surroundings of the plot, with profuse and diverse trees in the lower part of the plot.

- Apply the premises of biophilic design.

- Obtain a strong, simple image, which emphasizes transparency and the materials used. It is remarkable the continuity of space, inside and outside, as the wooden volumes have the same finish of heat-treated wood slats inside and outside.

SUSTAINABILITY

The building has taken special care in the sustainable values of its construction. The following are the main ones that further this commitment to a better and more efficient construction:

Passive strategies.-

- The building envelope was designed with very high insulation levels in the floor, roofs, blind wooden volumes, and Ug values of 1.1 W m2/K and without carpentry to minimize the impact of the frames.

- In addition, motorized screens were installed on the south facade of the building (the access facade), which are domotized, to be extended at times of high solar incidence.

- As this is a building with very continuous entrances and exits, airtightness was not considered a priority in the design of the building envelope.

- A leakage control system was installed in the cold water and domestic hot water installations. The models of toilets and faucets installed meet water-saving specifications.

Active strategies.-

- Due to the use of the building and the high energy consumption of the refrigeration equipment of the cold rooms, the air conditioning system of the entire building incorporates the refrigeration elements of the supermarket, recovering in winter all the heat extracted from these rooms in the heating of the building, thanks to a single joint heat pump for both systems. This design significantly reduces electricity consumption compared to a system with separate outdoor units.

- Two high-efficiency heat recovery units with adjustable flow rates through CO2 probes allow the building's energy consumption to be reduced as much as possible, depending on the occupancy of the building.

- To achieve positive energy consumption, photovoltaic panels were also installed on the entire roof of the building with an installed power of just over 17 kW.

The energy efficiency certificate obtained reflects a type A rating, with negative energy consumption and zero emissions.

On the other hand, and in line with the goal of decarbonization of construction established in the SDGs, in addition to the use of wood, a building has been designed with minimal waste generation. Except for the concrete foundation slab and the roof waterproofing sheet, all elements are removable and reusable. In this particular case, in an even more evident way, it already performs this task for this company, with a large number of sales and service points in continuous change and transformation.

The building is configured as a system that, only, can assume expansions or reductions in its surface without the need for major demolitions (very costly economically but also in terms of resources and materials). It can even be completely dismantled and moved to a new location.

Finally, the building, both in the design and post-construction phases, has obtained a final rating of VERY GOOD from the independent certifying body BREEAM. This sustainable construction standard evaluates multiple aspects of the design and construction of the building, for example, those related to the life cycle of materials, the treatment of waste, water, and facilities, the use of certified wood, energy efficiency, acoustic performance, or aspects related to ecology and land use.