14-02-2020

GCA Architects Platinum@BCN sustainable offices in Barcelona

GCA Architects,

Salva Lopez,

Barcelona, Spain,

Offices,

Iris Ceramica, The Architects Series, FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti, SpazioFMGperl'Architettura, Iris Ceramica Group,

In Barcelona’s 22@ district, on one of the city’s principal traffic arteries, GCA Architects designed Platinum@BCN, an office building combining handcrafted elements with innovative technological and environmental solutions. It obtained a score of 101 points, qualifying in the Platinum category of LEED certification and becoming the world’s most sustainable workspace.



GCA Architects Platinum@BCN sustainable offices in Barcelona

Until February 21 SpazioFMGperl'Architettura, the gallery and showroom run by Iris Ceramica and FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti, top brands in the Iris Ceramica Group, hosts "The Architects Series - A documentary on: GCA Architects". The latest episode in the cultural format curated by The Plan magazine takes us “behind the scenes” in the architectural studio founded in Barcelona in 1986 by architects Josep Juanpere and Antonio Puig. Through images filmed in the Catalonian studio by the staff of The Plan and the architects’ own words, the documentary film allows visitors to discover how GCA Architects operate and witness the genesis of some of their most important projects in various parts of the world.
All the studio’s projects reveal a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to architecture, defined not only as an art but as an aspect of science, and therefore combining elements of craft with the most innovative technological and environmental solutions, without neglecting the social responsibility inherent in every project. One important example is the plan for the Platinum@BCN building in Barcelona: an office building that obtained a score of 101 points for Platinum qualification in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The result achieved in the system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council for classification of buildings’ energy efficiency and ecological footprint has certified Platinum@BCN as the world’s most sustainable workplace.

Platinum@BCN was built in Barcelona’s 22@ district, which is itself an ambitious urban redevelopment project, a former industrial district transformed into a pole of high-tech and innovation, home to university campuses, research and experimentation centres, start-ups and high-tech companies. The site itself offered important inspiration for construction of an office building that meets the strictest criteria for sustainability and energy saving, without compromising on comfort in the workspace and integration with its surroundings in the city.
The site selected for Platinum@BCN stands on one of the district’s main traffic arteries, Via Llacuna, connecting Avenida Diagonal with the sea. The architects allocated more than 20% of the area for green space to mitigate climatic conditions; keeping in mind their surroundings and the need to ensure that all the rooms get plenty of light and fresh air, they designed a volume composed of three units of different heights, three glass towers joined by a steel base. On the roof of this low volume, they created two green terraces that contribute to the semi-public character of the space and the building’s sustainability. On the ground floor, the central courtyard is linked directly with the public space to offer the neighbourhood a new green area. The architects pay homage to the district’s industrial past with the materials used on the façade, glass and steel; glass allows users to see their surroundings while providing natural lighting for the offices, while steel covers the southern side of the building like a protective coating, thermally insulating it and significantly reducing its ecological footprint.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Images courtesy of GCA Architects, photos by Salva López

Architects: GCA Architects
Architect: Francisco de Paz (Managing Partner of GCA)
Engineering: PGI Engineering
Project Team: Carlos Morales, Toni Baños, Carla Sanfeliu, Rosa Solá, Alex Giordani, María Ceballos.
Execution Direction: IMAC
Photos: Salva López
Location: Barcelona, Spain


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