A complex that enhances community living and connection with green spaces.
Introduction
The residence is organized into four wings of rooms connected by a lower-level base, allowing the creation of three large green courtyards. The facade treatment integrates it into the urban context of 22@, and, thanks to its strong commitment to efficiency and well-being, it obtains LEED Platinum and Well Gold certifications.
Fostering Community Living
The Pallars student residence is located in the 22@ technological district, in a strategically accessible location with excellent connections. It is a consolidated environment with numerous educational centers, such as the UPC Diagonal-Besòs Campus or, in the same block, the TBS business school. From the Pallars street entrance, the common spaces of the residence unfold, which users cross daily to access their rooms and become the center of student life: inward, with a grandstand-skylight descending to basement -1, and outward, through the large glass windows to the three interconnected landscaped courtyards that provide access to the rooms and the community terrace with a 44m swimming pool on the 4th floor.
A Dual Facade responding to the Urban Context
Integrating into the urban context, the exterior appearance of the residence responds to two characteristics. The materiality of the base seeks to connect with the industrial heritage of the neighborhood and follows an orderly geometric pattern formalized in a warm-toned exposed brick facade with horizontal lines. On the fourth floor and above, the materiality is linked to the innovative character of 22@, thanks to a prefabricated facade with a copper-colored metallic finish, providing a light and contemporary feel. To enhance the building's permeability with public space, public-oriented areas are located facing the street, creating a more urban and welcoming scale from the outside. Additionally, communal spaces and the main lobby are characterized by transparency, animating the facade at the pedestrian scale.
Common Spaces for Living
The main, open, double-height lobby connects with communication cores through the exterior gardens of the complex. These green spaces welcome users, representing the transition between the lobby and their rooms. A path promoting biophilia and well-being is created, encouraging users to connect with nature. Access to these vertical communication cores (stairs and elevators) is also available through the common spaces on the -1 floor. The same lobby connects, through a grandstand, to terraces with the large communal area on the lower level, illuminated through skylights and patios that project natural light throughout the day. This space houses various common areas such as study rooms, game rooms, laundry, lounges, cinema rooms, and a gym.
A Room for Every User Type
The complex offers different types of private accommodations, providing the optimal solution for each user. The base, known for its exposed brick facade, offers single and double rooms, grouped into clusters – small communities with 6 to 11 rooms each – sharing common spaces such as the kitchen and living room, promoting community living and social relationships. On the upper floors of the complex, studios of different sizes are located, equipped with their own kitchen, functioning more independently.
Enhancing Connection with Green Spaces
Each courtyard is organized into different zones, with meeting points for students, study areas, and sports facilities. Vegetation helps separate these spaces, and the creation of mounds breaks the flatness of the courtyards. Vegetation filters are also placed in the private spaces of the ground floor rooms, providing privacy for their users. On the last two floors, private terraces are created, bringing vegetation closer to users, lightening the upper volume, especially in the area closest to the passage, and creating a decomposed volume that opens up views of the passage.
Interior Spaces Designed by Batlleiroig at a Domestic Scale
Pallars features cozy and domestically scaled environments where materials such as concrete, wood, terrazzo, textiles, and natural elements help create a continuous and balanced atmosphere. Against a neutral base of pastel tones and warm textures that provide timelessness, versatility, and harmony, punctual elements of vibrant colors stand out, bringing diversity and aiding the identification of different environments. Unique furniture pieces have been designed as landmarks that, combined with wayfinding elements, improve user orientation. The chromatic choice also helps locate the user in the complex, as different tones identify each of the wings of rooms. Following sustainability criteria and aiming to limit maintenance, durable, recyclable materials have been chosen. Throughout the project, biophilia is promoted, ensuring visual contact with vegetation from any point, enhancing the comfort and well-being of the Pallars student community.
Self-Sufficiency as a Design Principle
Mindful of the commitment to the environment, the design and construction of the residence have been carried out with the aim of achieving a sustainable, efficient, and comfortable building for its users. The project pursues high energy efficiency and aims to be an asset in energy generation. For this reason, a large area of photovoltaic panels is installed on the roof, and the building is connected to the District heating and cooling network to significantly reduce electricity consumption. The use of industrialized systems in the facade and bathrooms has been favored, allowing great control over the process, faster construction, and a cleaner and more efficient construction process. For all these reasons, the Pallars residence is expected to obtain LEED Platinum sustainability certification, as well as WELL Gold certification, certifying spaces that positively impact the health and well-being of occupants.
Team:
Client: Hines, Henderson Park
Authors: Batlleiroig Arquitectura. Enric Batlle Durany, Joan Roig i Duran, Albert Gil Margalef – Architects
Project Team: Anna Lloret Papaseit, Santi Xercavins Julià, Jordi Llàcer Macau, Anna Porta Almagro, Maria Comas Giménez, Paula Lladonosa Farré, Manuel Pedraz Salas – Architects / Clàudia Amías Roget, Berta Vilar Moragas – Architects and Landscape Architects / Yago Cavaller Galí – Agricultural Engineer and Environmentalist / Diana Calicó Soler, David Sobrino Viguín, Laura Luque Pan, Beatriz Álvarez, Carolina Valero Ramos, Gemma Ramon Mestre – Building Engineers
Collaborators: BIS Structures – Structural Engineering, PGI Engineering – Facilities Engineering, Talleres INOX – Facade, G3 – Building Engineers, Green Living Projects – LEED Advisory
Construction company: Dragados, OCP - Professional Civil Works
Photo credits: Oriol Gómez
Video credits: Stupendastic
