Foster + Partners reveals design for a new office building that saves more than 1,000 tonnes of CO2

Spanish sustainable infrastructure and energy company, Acciona’s new office building aims to be a model for sustainable development. Developed by Foster + Partners, the proposal is revitalizing an abandoned old industrial building built in 1905.

The 10,000-meter square building will revitalize the surrounding area by creating private and public plazas on the ground floor and creating connections with the adjoining Méndez Álvaro metro station.

The original structure was used as a natural gas plant that supplied energy to the surrounding areas. It was left abandoned until Acciona acquired it in 2017. With a wish to create an outstanding example of sustainable development, this refurbished building will conserve 10,000 tonnes of bricks and refurbish the original building envelop. The use of timber creates a lightweight structure that is recyclable and demountable, saving more than 1,000 tonnes of CO2.

Nigel Dancey, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners said, “This project offers the rare opportunity to give this magnificent building a new lease of life. It is a great example of Luis de Landecho’s early twentieth-century work, and our design aims to retain its original spirit while creating a workplace that is flexible and adaptable to new and emerging ways of working. Together with Acciona, we have developed a design that is underpinned by our shared vision of sustainability and demonstrates our commitment towards the environment.”

The new design uses timber as the primary building material, which creates a lightweight structure and lowers the overall carbon footprint of the development. Inside the building, the architects have created a series of stepped floor under the historic roof. To improve the productivity and well-being of people inside, the material palette combines natural materials with indoor greenery to create a biophilic environment. A central skylight also fills in the office interior with ample natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting.

The project takes advantage of Madrid’s temperate climate and proximity to public transport to create a 10,000 square-metre park with 300 trees with outdoor working spots and informal meeting spaces. It also includes a new courtyard within which is a new ground floor space with a garden roof.

 

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PROJECT DETAILS

Architect: Foster + Partners
Client: Acciona Inmobiliaria
Design team: Nigel Dancey, Taba Rasti, Pablo Urango, Emilio Ortiz Zaforas, Lucas Mazarrasa Chavari, Alfonso Aracil Sánchez, Sergio Canas Vadillo, Eduardo Cilleruelo, Alex Duro López, Miguel García Jiménez, Cesidio García del Río, María Soriano Rementería, Chris Trott, Arpan Bakshi, María de Miguel Garrido, Julia Pérez Torres, Martha Tsigkari, Sherif Tarabishy, Stamatios Psarras, Irene Gallou, Carlos Bausa Martínez, Byron Mardas, Alessandro Ranaldi, Martin Glover, Sarah Villar-Furniss, Luke Herring, Valeria de Giuli and Giulia Zanotti
Collaborating architect: Ortiz León arquitectos
Main contractor: Acciona Construcción
Structural consultant: Acciona Ingeniería
Mechanical engineers: JG ingenieros
Landscape consultant: K8 Paisajismo
Lighting engineers: Artec 3
Timber structure: Enmadera (Miguel Nevado)
Facade: ENAR (Envolventes Arquitectónicas)
Acoustics: Margarida
Planning consultant: Addient
Traffic consultant: Clothos + Vectio

 

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ABOUT FOSTER + PARTNERS 

Foster + Partners is a global studio for sustainable architecture, engineering, urbanism and industrial design, founded by Norman Foster in 1967. Since then, he, and the team around him, have established an international practice with a worldwide reputation. With offices across the globe, we work as a single studio that is both ethnically and culturally diverse.