Multifunctional set. Trinitat Vella Community House by hazarquitectura

Description of project by hazarquitectura

Porta Trinitat is a new multifunctional complex of facilities. It is located at the entrance to Barcelona along the Rondas and Av. Meridiana, near the Nudo de la Trinitat. The scale of the urban periphery conditions the site, promoting an introspective design, both of the urban complex and the buildings. The volumes are arranged in two strips that take the direction of the two main avenues, the Meridiana and the Carretera de Ribes, generating an interior square.

The first to be built, the Casa Comunitària de Trinitat Vella, renounces occupying the entire floor, fragmenting one of the bars to open up the interior space of the square, creating a free sub-space for an outdoor cinema. The building is voluntarily abstract and simple to be able to coexist with the future buildings of the complex, yet to come.

In this intimate and preserved interior of the block, we wanted to create a comfortable place at the back of the square. A public house, a casal, that welcomes people from Sant Andreu and Nou Barris, with different needs. A wooden building where people feel at home.
 
The interior of the building is organized around two courtyards that provide light and ventilation. The entrance hall is a generous space that acts as a foier to the auditorium and can host various activities and exhibitions. It houses the reception and the canteen. The first floor is a social services center and women's center. On the other floors, there are offices and rooms for neighborhood organizations and associations.
 
Wood is a warm material in a hostile urban environment. It fixes CO2 throughout its useful life, resulting in a very low environmental impact due to its carbon footprint. Due to its low weight, it has no thermal inertia, which is why we mobilize the inertia of the land. We took advantage of the land cleared from the excavation on the hillside to bury tubes through which clean air circulates before erecting the building.

The air that circulates through the buried tubes, once tempered by the subsoil, is released into the two covered courtyards of the central core, which function as large air ducts. It is a renewed air, fresh in summer or warm in winter, in keeping with an ancient Mediterranean tradition. Given that it is sufficiently comfortable air, around 17 or 18ºC all year round, the energy expenditure for air conditioning is very low. Only on the harsher days of winter or summer will it be necessary to treat it slightly to achieve a comfortable temperature. In addition, photovoltaic panels with 60,000W of maximum electrical power are installed on the roof, bringing consumption very close to zero.

The staircase is located between the two courtyards and receives light and ventilation. The rooms are organized around the central core and can be easily redistributed, as they capture the renewal air through the façades of the central courtyards, using strips that act like the gills of a fish.