Vicomtech Technology Center

Jorge Allende

VICOMTECH

• Architects

The Vicomtech technology center joins the MUBIL Hub with a new space dedicated to smart mobility—specifically Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility (CCAM)—as well as to Safety and Security technologies. The building has been conceived with the aim of strengthening research activity linked to advanced transport and the protection of critical infrastructure and citizens, key areas for progressing towards zero-emission, zero-accident scenarios with the highest levels of safety. In recent years, this line of work has experienced significant growth at Vicomtech, making it necessary to develop a dedicated infrastructure alongside the MUBIL Sustainable Mobility Centre.

photo_credit Jorge Allende — Jorge Allende

The building is located in the Eskuzaitzeta Industrial Park, in Zubieta (Gipuzkoa), on a plot whose topography directly conditions its implementation. The proposal is resolved through a single volume that integrates two complementary uses—administrative functions and technological research—brought together under one continuous envelope, unifying both image and operation. The complex is articulated in two main floors complemented by two mezzanines, all connected through a single vertical core that simplifies circulation routes and enhances the building’s internal efficiency.
The main entrance is situated on the south façade, where a spacious lobby–showroom welcomes visitors. This area, conceived as the institutional threshold, accommodates events, demonstrations and outreach activities linked to the research carried out at the center.

The different levels of the building are organized around a longitudinal courtyard that simultaneously serves as a social space, a source of natural light and a ventilation channel. This courtyard creates a sheltered and luminous atmosphere, enhancing the quality of the adjacent workspaces and providing a recreational area associated with the dining–office space. Its presence introduces a slower, more contemplative rhythm that contrasts with the dynamism of the rest of the program and contributes to humanizing the overall scale.
The project includes a research laboratory housed in a large industrial and technical space suitable for the demands of advanced autonomous mobility research. The volume features vehicular access, maneuvering space and loading and unloading areas for trucks. On the basement level, an underground car park connects directly to the installation rooms, optimizing the building’s internal functioning and maintenance operations.

The envelope is constructed using high insulation sandwich panels, applied to both roof and façades, ensuring extremely low thermal transmittance values (around 0.182 W/m²K). This industrialized solution allows for rapid execution and excellent thermal performance. To elevate the architectural quality of the ensemble, a second metallic skin made of vertically folded sheet metal is incorporated. This layer provides texture, rhythm and contemporary character, refining the industrial appearance of the building and giving it a more urban and representative presence.
A photovoltaic array for self consumption is installed above the administrative area, while climate control is achieved through a three pipe VRV system with heat recovery, capable of producing cooling and heating simultaneously, thereby increasing the building’s overall energy efficiency. Three north facing longitudinal skylights, finished in cellular polycarbonate, introduce homogeneous natural light into the interior of the laboratory without compromising thermal comfort.

Architecturally, the building is conceived as a compact whole, defined by volumetric precision, clean lines and constructive clarity. The combination of opaque metal surfaces and large glazed panels creates a contrast that provides depth, dynamism and contemporaneity. Oriented to the north, a large translucent volume acts as a visual landmark, reinforcing the innovative character of the complex and making the building easily recognizable in its surroundings.
The main entrance, protected by a generous porch, forms a welcoming threshold between exterior and interior, contributing a sense of lightness and transparency. The design pays equal attention to voids and solids, creating a balanced interaction between built mass and open spaces.
The interior layout follows criteria of efficiency, flexibility and operability. Administrative areas, technical zones and laboratories are arranged logically to facilitate the building’s future adaptability. Natural light—sometimes direct, sometimes filtered through translucent planes—creates balanced, comfortable and visually cohesive environments.
The result is a solid, rigorous and coherent building, capable of accommodating a highly specialized program while projecting a clean, contemporary and technologically driven aesthetic. It is an architectural piece that organizes its surroundings, reinforces Vicomtech’s identity within the MUBIL Hub and anticipates, through its very form, the future of smart mobility.