The building complex Roc Boronat is located in the 22 @ district of Barcelona, a former industrial area, located in the heart of the Eixample, that over the last ten years has become a trendy mix of new industries and technology centres and new built residential buildings.

The geometry and dimensions of the site, product of previous plots that were decided to maintain, made it difficult to incorporate regular typologies, cross ventilation or efficiency in the use of common spaces that the client needed. Finally, these tensions ended in generating the best episodes of the project, with a central courtyard incorporating the vertical and horizontal access to the dwellings.

Energy efficiency, SaAS’ foundational objective, is achieved by passive strategies, particularly through increased insulation, solar control and ventilation, and the connection to the district heating network 22 @, with a ring for heating and individual heat exchangers for DHW, equipped with individual heat meters. The joint commitment to passive and active strategies has led to an energy certification “A”, with even 50% less CO2 emissions than required to obtain this classification.

The building incorporates materials and finishes that improve the health and comfort of the dwellings, reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC), such as wooden windows treated with natural oils, or silicate interior paints replacing traditional paints.

These improvements have been introduced without increasing the investment cost, but that has been affected by other urban planning conditions as the need to build two floors of basement parking below the ground water level or the foundations needed due to the site’s particular shape.

The Roc Boronat Project obtained the Endesa Sustainability Award 2012 and was the first residential building in Barcelona with an EPBD energy certification “A”.