Archello Awards 2024 has revealed its longlist for its projects of the year categories. The longlists celebrate the very best building products, architecture projects and firms selected from over 1,000 entries for the second edition of Archello's annual awards program.
El Trull CV: longlisted for Industrial Building of the Year
Catalonian architectural studio Alventosa Morell Arquitectes has designed El Trull CV, a contemporary oil mill for the production of organic olive oil in the Les Garrigues region of Catalonia (the region is Catalonia’s center of olive cultivation.) Hidden for the most part behind a sloping terrain, the oil mill meets the client’s request for a winery-like structure.
The region’s bucolic landscape helped to determine the building’s architectural style. The hilly terrain is populated by olive trees, stone terraces, and drystone walls: the terraces were built from natural stone and used to cultivate the land.
Alventosa Morell Arquitectes chose to locate the oil mill on abandoned agricultural land, where a hill formed by residual terraces offered few possibilities for exploitation and existing stone walls were in a state of disrepair. Two rock formations stood out at the top of the hill, their sculptural form framing panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. The studio’s main challenge was to design a facility that did not significantly alter the natural environment — instead, it should harmonize with the landscape.
The project therefore adopted two contrasting architectural strategies: hidden versus visible forms.
1. The majority of the oil mill, around 90 percent, is hidden behind a staggered layout, one that adapts to the original hilly terrain and terraces. The old stone walls have been restored and now function as the mill’s facade, while the terraces offer additional green spaces for native flora and fauna. Alventosa Morell Arquitectes reduced the project’s overall visual impact, burying and stepping the building in alignment with the topography.
2. The mill’s remaining 10 percent is in the form of a reception pavilion. Located at the top of the hill between the sculptural rock formations, it is the only visible part of the overall mill structure. The pavilion’s minimal design and light construction ensures that it maintains a modest presence within the landscape. Its organic form adapts to the adjacent rock formations. The pavilion offers visitors the opportunity to taste and buy the products made on-site and marks the beginning of the mill’s guided tour.
The oil mill’s design reduces the building’s ecological footprint and utilizes waste materials. Excavated soil and rocks were used to restore the stone walls and create the facades of the building; they also helped to create abundant plant cover.
Cold oil production requires a stable temperature of 18ºC. To reduce energy demand, Alventosa Morell Arquitectes took advantage of the high level of thermal inertia found in the excavated rock — this regulates temperature without the need for any active systems.
Surface area: 2,542 square meters (27,362 square feet)