The Spanish architecture studio GCA Architects has completed the Smart 22@ located in the 22@ technological district of Poblenou in Barcelona. This area of Barcelona is characterized by the transformation that the land has carried out, becoming a district with great technological, cosmopolitan, and innovative development. The building has been baptized with the name Smart 22@ as a nod to the name of the area where it is located.

Smart 22@ is committed to technological innovation, industrialization, and the locally crafted. In this project, many factors such as sustainability or social responsibility are taken into account, building a building that integrates perfectly into the area, and respecting the neighborhood and the inhabitants who live in it.
GCA Architects projects a space where technology takes a leading role, the Sharry global prop-tech platform is used to digitize access and parking management for employees. In addition, it consists of sustainable measures such as the use of 264 photovoltaic panels, 63 places for electric vehicles, and 25 charging points.

The intelligent building has three large blocks, inside we can see an open-plan construction with great light thanks to its structure. We find work areas, common areas such as terraces, changing rooms, and various services to create a community for the people who work in these spaces.

Smart 22@ by GCA Architects. Photograph by Rafael Vargas.


Smart 22@ by GCA Architects. Photograph by Rafael Vargas.
 

Description of project by GCA Architects

The GCA Architects studio has just completed the construction of the first smart building in Spain, Smart 22@, in the 22@ technology district of Barcelona del Poblenou. Divided into three independent buildings, and with a large common garden area, the office complex integrates naturally into the evolutionary path of the neighborhood's old industrial district. The context of the district, which was known as the "Catalan Manchester" due to the concentration of more than 40% of the cotton industry in the area, has been decisive in the design of the building. With the subsequent impact of the Olympic Games and the 22@ technological development and innovation plan, Poblenou has transformed approximately 200 hectares of industrial land into one of the most cosmopolitan and innovative in the city. This mix between craftsmanship and modernity is reflected in all the details of the project, from the materials, such as the extruded terracotta pieces thanks to the new industrial processes that act as a solar filter, to the copper color that reminds the facades of the old ones. factories that characterized the neighborhood and that today house workshops for artists and craftsmen.

For Josep Riu, architect and partner at GCA Architects, "Smart 22@ is a link between the past and the future, whose innovative character lies in the art of integrating eco-efficiency, sustainability, and technological innovation with the importance of craftsmanship and respect for the local patrimony”.


Smart 22@ by GCA Architects. Photograph by Rafael Vargas.

The morphology of the building is integrated into the urban environment with a deep respect for the surrounding buildings; among them, the old La Escocesa factory, built in 1852, is now converted into a public center for artist residencies and contemporary art production.

One of the main objectives of the project started in 2019, has been to work from the social responsibility of architecture to create an integrating volume that coexists naturally with the neighborhood and its inhabitants. Inhabitants are remembered in the Smart 22@ building thanks to the pictorial works of Julián García Hernández, who portray the people who worked in the area that has now become the technological district of the city.

Smart 22@ has a surface area of 24,600m² of offices divided into three large blocks. The interiors, open-plan and flexible, have been designed to respond to current needs. Natural light filters from the core to the curtain wall façades thanks to a post-stressed concrete slab structure. The work area is complemented by common areas such as outdoor terraces, the lounge, the multipurpose room, changing rooms, and other services designed with the idea of socializing and creating community.

The design of the complex, adapted to the heights of the pre-existing buildings and with materials that link contemporaneity with the history of the district, achieves a balance between current technology and functionality and the history of the place.

The project stands out for its sustainable characteristics and high energy efficiency, including 45% savings in global water consumption, 32% energy savings, and the use of 20% materials with low environmental impact. In addition, it has 75% sustainable waste management, 264 photovoltaic panels, 63 places for electric vehicles, and 25 charging points. The South façade also integrates photovoltaic glass panels that contribute to the energy efficiency of the three buildings. It also has an air conditioning system equipped with Photocatalysis Filters and Active Polarization Filters to guarantee air quality, among many other environmental benefits.


Smart 22@ by GCA Architects. Photograph by Rafael Vargas.

The new building aspires to become a benchmark for the city of Barcelona and its new architecture and has the LEED Platinum V4 certificate, the WELL Gold that focuses on the well-being of users, and AAA energy certification, in addition to being Wiredscore certified.

The Smart 22@ building uses the global prop-tech platform Sharry to digitize access, parking management, and the visitor experience. Thanks to its technology, users can access the building's facilities using their smartphone to unlock turnstiles and doors, as well as reserve a parking space or a meeting room with just a few clicks. The APP also facilitates the management of visitors, since it allows the generation of a QR code for guests, replacing the plastic credential.

More information

Label
Architects
Text
GCA Architects. (Josep Riu de Martín, Josep Juanpere i Miret)
Project managers.- Juan Velasco Garcia de Sierra, Belén Albajar Andreu.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Collaborators
Text
Contractor.- UTE La Escocesa, Grupo Elecnor+Sorigué.
Project Management.- TAG Arquitectura & Management.
Quantity Surveyor.- Belart Arquitectes Tècnics.
Structural Engineer.- BAC Engineering, Grupo SOCOTEC.
MEP Engineer.- PGI Engineering & Consulting.
Façade consultants.- Ferrés Arquitectos y Consultores.
Landscaping.- Valentina Greselin.
Achievements.- Leed Platinum V4, Well Gold, Wiredscore Gold.
Leed Consultants.- Homu Well-tech.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Client
Text
Meridia Capital.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Area
Text
24,600 m².
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Dates
Text
2022.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Location
Text
C/ Pere IV 313, 08020 - Barcelona, España.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Photography
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.

GCA Architects, based in Barcelona, founded in 1986 by Josep Juanpere and Antonio Puig, is a study of architecture and interior design. Their management team is made up of seven partners and five young associates. With a trajectory of more than 35 years, they continue to design under a consolidated international dimension with works throughout the world.

Josep Juanpere.- He studied at the Technical Upper School of Architecture of Barcelona from 1970 to 1976. In 1986 he founds GCA architects with Antonio Puig. Antonio Puig.- He studied in the Technical Top School of Architecture of the Vallés from 1977 to 1984. In 1986 he founds GCA architects with Josep Juanpere.

GCA Architects has a multidimensional team of more than 100 professionals composed of senior architects, junior architects, building technicians, interior designers, consultants, project managers and communication specialists. In this way we guarantee that all projects are studied from start to finish and have all the experience of the company and its partners, as with all the freshness and innovation that new generations bring.

Read more
Published on: March 13, 2023
Cite: "Nexus between the past and the future. Smart 22@ by GCA Architects" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/nexus-between-past-and-future-smart-22-gca-architects> ISSN 1139-6415
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...