PROJECT DETAILS
Estudio Lamela endorses WICONA for Airbus “Futura” Campus in Madrid
WICONA WICTEC EL EVO and WICTEC 50 modular facade systems selected
The new Airbus corporate headquarters in Spain, the Airbus “Futura” Campus, in Getafe, Madrid, designed by the prestigious Estudio Lamela firm, aims to become a hub of innovation and development. The site’s design features an independent structure for the 5 campus buildings that links each building to all the others. It covers a total of 400,000m2, which are organised as follows: “Identification Building”, strategically located at the site entrance to monitor and verify employee and visitor access to the Campus. The “Canteen Building”, which serves the North Factory and has been designed with its function firmly in mind, offering open, pleasant eating areas. The Campus also has two office blocks: “Central Offices” and “Information Management” where large spaces are used to bathe the workspaces in natural light, whilst the services and spaces that do not require natural lighting are clustered centrally. Lastly, the Campus includes a surface car park named “P7”. The site development plan channels, hones, and strengthens the “campus” concept to create an appealing working environment.
Cradle to Cradle Silver certified WICONA facades meet the highest technical and environmental requirements
Another key objective in the project was securing the best environmental credentials to underpin the quality of the design. Specifically, it holds a BREEAM pre-approval rating of Very Good. This certification is considered to be one of the most advanced technical sustainability certification assessments. BREEAM aims to drive forward a series of building sustainability improvements, including the reduction of buildings’ environmental footprint over their service life, the setting of highly ambitious quality standards, and the development of sustainable construction by offering publicly available information to compare buildings and establishing an internationally recognised ecolabel. This ecolabel is the cornerstone of efforts to promote research and development in construction.
For buildings to attain international sustainability certification, close attention must be paid to the construction materials used. That is precisely why WICONA facades have been selected for the Airbus “Futura” Campus exterior. The Cradle to Cradle Silver certified WICTEC EL EVO unitised facade system used on the upper floors has been customised to meet both the technical and aesthetic requirements of the project. This facade model features a new patented WICONA water tightness system and significant capacity to absorb the movement of the building itself. These results are delivered by innovation in the joints that does not compromise the original profile design and offers narrow sight lines with excellent technical performance. Modules for this system are manufactured in controlled workshop environments, free from the effects of the weather and other external factors, to ensure the highest possible quality and performance of the product.
The lower floors have been equipped with the WICONA WICTEC 50 unitised facade system, which is also Cradle to Cradle Silver certified. This sophisticated facade can be tailored to meet specific construction requirements to provide highly efficient results. Its sight line, of just 50mm, and profile depth, ranging from 50mm to 260mm, create facades with customised, unique appearances, such as those used in this project. The facade can also accommodate various opening units, such as sliding or folding windows and doors. This system is also suitable for creating vertical or sloping facades, as well as being easily modifiable in a wide range of profile designs.
