PROJECT DETAILS
WICONA in Sea Towers, a LEED Platinum office complex, designed by GCA Architects.
Hydro CIRCAL certified recycled aluminium is used for the facades, key in obtaining the highest rating according to the LEED certification system for sustainable buildings.
The architecture firm, GCA Architects, designs the Sea Towers project responding to the principles of biophilic design, where establishing a connection between the offices and the outdoors and nature is key. Funded by Meridia Capital, this is the third building in Spain to be awarded LEED Platinum, the most prestigious qualification of this certification system, among many factors, due to the fact that it boasts WICONA facades made with Hydro CIRCAL certified recycled aluminum.
The architecture firm, GCA Architects, designed the Sea Towers project responding to the principles of biophilic design, where establishing a connection between the offices and the outdoors and nature is key. Funded by Meridia Capital, this is the third building in Spain to be awarded LEED Platinum, the most prestigious qualification of this certification system. One of the many contiburing factors is that it boasts WICONA facades made with Hydro CIRCAL certified recycled aluminum. Its ground-breaking design, which incorporates two 6 and 12-floor towers is perfectly integrated with the urban environment, merging the industrial past of Barcelona's Poble Nou neighbourhood with the technological future of 22 @.
Despite its location in one of the most industrial areas in Barcelona, the complex is surrounded by green areas and emphasises its relationship with the outdoors and with the Mediterranean Sea, as the defining element of the environment that surrounds it. With the aim of achieving open floors and amplifying the continuity between the interior and the exterior, Sea Towers is designed with a central structural core, freeing up the maximum amount of office space. The perimeter terraces function as outdoor workspaces and socialisation areas for professional and leisure purposes alike. For the enclosure of the building, three clearly differentiated materials have been used: vision glass with solar control, including photovoltaic panels with a vision of 80%, dry-pressed ceramic panels and WICONA facade systems.
WICTEC 50 facades made from Hydro CIRCAL recycled aluminium, one of the key elements for obtaining LEED Platinum
The highly-versatile WICTEC 50 WICONA curtain wall has been used to create the facades, which adapt to the technical and aesthetic needs of any project. However, the differentiating and exclusive point with the rest of the existing systems on the market, is that they are made from Hydro CIRCAL, a certified recycled aluminium manufactured with a minimum of 75% post-consumer recycled aluminium. Hydro CIRCAL has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world, 2.3 kg of CO2 per kilo of aluminium, making it possible to contribute to the creation of highly sustainable buildings and consequently to allow them to be certified with the best ratings in the market, in this case, the LEED Platinum and the Well Gold seal, as the WICONA brand boasts all the documentation to back this up.
Another action that has been carried out to reduce energy consumption is the incorporation of solar panels in the WICONA curtain wall and on the roof. A series of horizontal platforms have also been created, that vary in geometry in order to give movement to the facade, creating double spaces and exterior perimeter terraces. In the interior recesses of the facade, where the terrace is larger, they have sliding rails from TECHNAL's LUMEAL series and the railings correspond to the GYPSE GLASS model, which offers 100% transparency to fully enjoy the environment.
Green terraces and 360° outdoor spaces
With the aim of optimising its energy resources and fostering the well-being of its future users, one of the maxims of both the architecture firm GCA Architects and the investment manager Meridia Capital is that the two towers that make up the project have green roof terraces. These are accessible to provide users with a space for daily well-being and relaxation, with 360-degree views of the sea and the city.
All the vegetation in the buildings is native and has low water consumption, and the species have been conceived to allow us to witness the evolution of the seasons. Measures to promote sustainable transport have also been incorporated into the project, such as preferential parking areas for electric vehicles and specific storage areas for bicycles. A public area in the centre of the block provides the neighbourhood with a green lung, and the neighbours with a space for socialisation and well-being.
