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The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation has recently announced that its headquarters will be retrofitted following strict sustainability criteria and evaluated according to BREEAM system
The building, built in the 40s to host the National Institute of Industry, and later on, the Ministry itself until 2004, is located in Madrid's Plaza del Marqués de Salamanca and occupies an area of 49.516 m2.
"Renewable energy production will be around 15% of the total and 60% savings in CO2 emissions are estimated compared to a building reference".
The aim is to retrofit is to carry out the restoration and preservation of the historical palace and its facades, while adapting the rest of the building to the current functional needs and ensuring high energy performance and healthy environment for the its occupants. The works are envisaged to be completed in 2017.
The refurbishment project has been promoted by the Directorate General for the Government’s Assets (Dirección General del Patrimonio del Estado) and developed by the Tragsa Group, in collaboration with Mira, Milla and Navarro Architects. The assessment of the impacts of the works will be performed in 10 categories (Management, Health and Wellness, Energy, Transport, Water, Materials, Waste, Environmental Land use, Pollution, Innovation) and will be carried out by Raquel García Rodríguez, BREEAM Assessor.
Envisaged sustainability measures
The proposal is to create a flexible and versatile work environment for the 1.300 staff currently housed in different buildings in Madrid. Creating a nursery is also contemplated.
The building will be provided with a green roof that will add thermal benefits to the building envelope while enhancing biodiversity. Thanks to its courtyards, the building will benefit from natural ventilation and daylighting. Folding shading systems and light reflectors are envisaged for the narrow courtyards. Transparent partitioning will ensure natural lighting is optimized and diffused across the interiors.
The use of sustainable means of transportation like bicycles and public transport will be strongly encouraged to minimize the use of private cars. The number of car parking slots provided within the scheme is very limited (45 places including 4 electric vehicles). Storage for 50 bike and associated facilities will be provided.
Water efficient water fittings (taps and appliances) will be installed within the building to ensure water consumption. In addition a rainwater harvesting system will be used to feed the irrigation. PVs will partially cover the building electrical need. A ground source heat pump system will also be installed.
In order to achieve an exemplar energy performance and a good energy rating levels (EPC A or B), the design team will focus on strategies to minimize the building energy demand and, in particular, to enhance the performance of the thermal envelope, the ventilation and lighting systems as well as the operation of the building.
Source: BREEAM ES