Project Name: Smart 22@
Architecture Firm: GCA Architects
Partner: Josep Riu de Martín, Josep Juanpere i Miret
Project Leader: Juan Velasco Garcia de Sierra, Belén Albajar Andreu
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Completion Year: 2022
Gross Built Area: 24.600 m²
Photo Credits: Rafael Vargas
GCA Architects has just completed the construction of Spain’s first intelligent building, Smart 22@, in Barcelona’s 22@ technology district of Poblenou.
Divided into three independent buildings with a large garden area, the office complex responds to the industrial context while standing out with its own character. The district, known as the “Catalan Manchester” due to the concentration of more than 40% of the cotton industry in the area, has been a determining factor in the design of the building. With the impact of the Olympic Games, 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.
The morphology of the building is based on urban integration, with a deep respect for the adjacent buildings, such as the old ‘La Escocesa’ factory: its genetics reflects the characteristic chromatic range of the neighborhood and combines the traditional importance of a humble material, such as terracotta, with the new manufacturing processes, which allow to work with larger extruded pieces.
For Josep Riu, architect and partner at GCA Architects, “Smart 22@ is a link between past and future, whose innovative character lies in the art of integrating eco-efficiency, sustainability, and technological innovation with the importance of craftsmanship and respect for local heritage”.
It is a project celebrating the inherited social responsibility of architecture, creating a conciliatory volume able to coexist with the Poblenou neighborhood while expressing the values of Barcelona.
One of the project’s main objectives, which began in 2019, has been to work from the social responsibility of architecture to create an integrating volume that coexists with the neighborhood and its inhabitants. These inhabitants appear in the pictorial works of Julián García Hernández, located in the main accesses of the buildings, which portray the people who worked in the area.
Smart 22@ has 24,600m² of office space divided in three large blocks. The open-plan, flexible interiors have been designed to meet today’s needs. Natural light filters through from the core to the curtain wall facades thanks to a post-tensioned concrete slab structure. The work area is complemented by common areas such as the outdoor terraces, lounge, multipurpose room, locker rooms, and other services designed to socialize and enhance wellbeing.
The project stands out for its sustainable and energy-efficient features, including 45% savings in water consumption, 32% energy savings, and 20% use of low environmental impact materials. It also has 75% sustainable waste management, 264 photovoltaic panels, 63 electric vehicle parking spaces, 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 and active polarization filters to guarantee air quality, among other environmental benefits.
The project rises from the industrial legacy and stands out as a landmark encouraging values such as modernity, sustainability, and technology. It is LEED Platinum V4 certified, WELL Gold certified, which focuses on the wellbeing 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 and a parking space or meeting room with just a few clicks. The APP also facilitates visitor management, as it allows the generation of a QR code for guests, replacing the plastic badge.
