New R&D Headquarters and Production Building for Certest Biotec. IDOM. Photograph by Iñaki Bergera.
Project description by IDOM
Over the last few years, Certest's production and R&D development needs have grown exponentially. To accommodate this growth, IDOM has designed its new extensions as a continuation of its current headquarters in San Mateo de Gállego, Zaragoza, Spain. The new buildings reflect Certest's new growth strategies and represent a total of 15,620 sqm of new construction, which, when added to the existing buildings, form a total built-up area of 24,825 sqm, making it one of the largest biotechnological complexes.
Firstly, a building was designed to house the production facilities. This is known as Phase 5. The main objective and challenge was to create a large, versatile and flexible vessel that would allow Certest's new business units to be developed by creating new R&D and production laboratories. The building is structured around a central core of vertical communications, toilets, and a central courtyard. The courtyard is designed to naturally light and ventilate the floors.
To increase the flexibility of this Phase 5 building, a 2.5-metre-wide double skin has been designed around the perimeter of the building. This provides evacuation stairs and space for installation walkways. This double skin is formalized with Tramex walkways and an outer skin of green perforated folded metal sheets, which blend into the surrounding landscape of the Gállego river and minimize the visual impact of the large building.
New R&D Headquarters and Production Building for Certest Biotec. IDOM. Photograph by Iñaki Bergera
A pioneering aspect of the design is the ability to assemble and disassemble the lightweight panel laboratories without affecting or modifying the main building, allowing the rapid creation of new production units or laboratories, as opposed to the usual time required to construct a new building. The building is designed so that the laboratory ducts are easily connected to the machines on the roof, either through the perimeter ring of the double facade in a concealed manner, or through the large central core that connects to the machine platform on the roof.
The built complex is completed with the construction of the phase 6 building, which is the corporate building and main façade at the image level of the built complex. It houses the general support services for Certest's main activity, being the administrative uses, changing rooms and canteen the most representative ones.
The building's appearance is that of a large box with a metallic finish. To the south, the cantilever is flared to protect against the sun. In addition, this cantilever has been maximized on the west façade to create a covered plaza in the main access area on the ground floor. This large metal box rests on a recessed glass curtain wall. This defines and composes the ground floor.
New R&D Headquarters and Production Building for Certest Biotec. IDOM. Photograph by Iñaki Bergera
In the basement, Phase 6 and Phase 5 are volumetrically linked by the dining room, which is an open space naturally lit by two courtyards to the east and west. On the ground and first floors, Phase 5 and Phase 6 are connected by closed walkways embedded in the façade modulations of the buildings.
The buildings have been designed to minimize energy consumption. Passive measures include the construction of double skin facades, courtyards that encourage natural ventilation and lighting, and eaves that are sized according to orientation and sunlight. Active measures include the installation of an open-loop geothermal system with active heat recovery, hot water production by means of a geothermal heat pump, a ventilation system with high efficiency heat recovery and a photovoltaic solar collection system. The installations also include chargers for electric vehicles.
The buildings have been designed to minimize energy consumption, using the best available techniques to improve their energy efficiency. Passive measures have been used in the construction of the building to reduce energy demand, such as the construction of double-skin facades, courtyards to encourage natural ventilation and lighting, and eaves sized according to orientation and sunlight. Active measures include the installation of an open-loop geothermal system with active heat recovery, domestic hot water production by means of a geothermal heat pump, a ventilation system with high efficiency heat recovery, and a photovoltaic solar collection system with a total installed capacity of 310 kW and a total annual energy production capacity of 469,859 kWh. Also noteworthy are the electric vehicle charging installations, with a charging capacity of 247.2 kW, confirming Certest's commitment to sustainability and innovation.
Federico Pardos Auber (Barcelona, 1970). Architect by the architecture school of Paris-La-Seine, outstanding cum-laude in the final project. Award-winning architect at the Aga Khan awards 2019 (Kazan, Tatarstan, September 2019), at the XIV Spanish Architecture and Urban Development Biennial 2018 (Santander, July 2018), at the 2018 World Architectural News Awards (London, November 2018) and at the LEAF Awards 2018 (Frankfurt, November 2018) for the work of the new classroom for Bambey University in Senegal, promoted by the Ministry of Higher Education and funded by the World Bank.
He joined IDOM in 2000 as a project manager, since 2010 he is Partner Architect and is currently the director of IDOM SENEGAL. As project manager, among his most outstanding works are:
New classrooms for the universities of Bambey and Saint Louis in Senegal, financed by the World Bank and promoted by the Ministry of Higher Education of Senegal. Project, management and construction management of Diamniadio digital technology park, in Dakar (Senegal), over an area of 25 Ha, which includes a Tier III data center, offices, incubators and services, as well as urban and landscape planning, financed by the African Development Bank and promoted by the Ministry of Telecommunications of Senegal. Brazzaville Technology Park, in the Republic of Congo, financed by AfdB; the project of a new 500-room, four-star hotel in Pointe Sarène, Senegal, for the RIU hotel chain. New headquarters for Certest R&D laboratories in San Mateo de Gállego (Zaragoza) that includes ISO5 cleanrooms and biosafety laboratories. Project of the new water company headquarters "AGUR" in Anglet, France. Renovation and rehabilitation of buildings of the European Parliament of Strasbourg. Director of the Zaragoza pavilion project at Expo Shanghai 2010. Technical consultancy for the evaluation of a project to regroup the UN delegations in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in a new location. Reconstruction work management of the Zaragoza 2008 international exhibition site in new urbanization and underground parking for 2,500 spaces.
In collaboration with Zaha Hadid Architects he has been responsible for the drafting of the interior architecture project of the Bridge Pavilion of Expo 2008 and later for the reconversion studies in museum space. He has participated in conferences in different professional forums and his work has been published in several specialized magazines.
