Vil·la Urània, a complex of NZEB facilities by SUMO Arquitectes + Yolanda Olmo

Description of project by SUMO Arquitectes + Yolanda Olmo

Vil·la Urània is a small residence from the end of the 19th century that was the home of the renowned astronomer Josep Comas y Solà. The town is one of the last urban examples that persist of what was once the garden city of Farró, in the district of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi in Barcelona. The re-densification of the neighborhood left the building and the small surrounding garden enclosed between two large medians. The new complex of facilities assumes the challenge of giving new life to the building and the existing gardens by incorporating it into a new building. A civic center, a children's house, a multipurpose room and an exhibition hall form the program of the new complex of facilities. The rehabilitated villa becomes a meeting place, a versatile open space equipped to carry out all kinds of activities typical of such equipment.

The strong presence of the villa establishes the levels of ground floor and first floor. A double access to the plot allows to communicate the street Saragossa with the Via Augusta and at the same time access through a route adapted to the ground and basement floors. On the first floor the terrace of the new building is joined with that of the existing villa. An external staircase vertically communicates the new building. A light and permeable element that gives transparency and ventilation to the neighboring pre-existing farms that face the plot.

The extension, a tall, narrow building facing south-east, has a large gallery that passively airs the circulation of the building and eventual meeting areas. This intermediate space functions as a greenhouse in winter and as a summer shadehouse. It acts as a thermal mattress when separating the heated areas from the outside and reduces the energy demand of the building.

The facade adapts automatically to outdoor conditions. Interior temperature sensors act on the glass facade by opening or closing it according to the needs. Outdoor probes measure solar radiation and act on retractable blinds. The inner plantation, formed by different species, provides a pleasant sensation of freshness in summer, while in winter it reduces its volume to allow it to capture solar radiation. The building envelope has been designed to achieve low thermal transmittance, minimize thermal bridges and a high level of tightness.

The building also stands out for the intensive use of materials with low environmental impact, quickly renewable and of recycled origin: auxiliary structures and wooden carpentry, mixed curtain walls wood-aluminum or hemp insulation.

Vil·la Urània has been conceived as a building with almost zero energy consumption (nzeb). Its energy consumption is very low and much of the necessary energy is produced in the building itself. High efficiency active systems have been used. A geothermal heat pump system supported by 11 wells scattered throughout the plot provides heating, cooling and sanitary hot water. The lighting throughout the building is LED, and 19kW / pic is installed on the roof in photovoltaic panels. A buried deposit of 20,000L allows to collect rainwater and use it in a closed circuit for irrigation of the plantation of the building.

The finished building has a Class A energy certification and LEED Platinum certification.