Tembo BCN suites

The new apart-hotel in the Fòrum area of Barcelona, TEMBO BCN Suites, is the building resulting from the international invitation competition convened by Stahler Real State Group, a competition won by the team formed by the architectural studios, HYBRIDa /aZCON in 2017. In the competition rules, it was imposed that in an already advanced phase of the project developmed by HYBRIDa /aZCON, the architecture studio D388 would be incorporated as a partner dedicated more to a construction phase. The architecture of the project is defined by HYBRIDa /aZCON in the competition, in the preliminary project, and in the basic project. The property wanted to fully develop the winning proposal of the competition for its architectural uniqueness. Therefore, the executive project is developed with absolute fidelity to the winning proposal, and with a lot of detail, to absolutely define the architecture in its construction.

URBAN PROPOSAL

The building's location is in Sant Adrià del Besòs, only one street separates the plot from Barcelona; besides, it is in total relation with the Port Fòrum area and the area of the new UPC campus. The apart-hotel is located between Carrer Llull, which comes directly from the heart of Poble Nou, and Carrer Ramon de Penyafort, which heads towards the Besos district. We receive the plot, knowing that the area behind Carrer Lola Anglada will be populated by new buildings, some of a certain height, which will shape part of the new urban tissue planned for the new UPC campus. The physical conditions of the plot, of generous dimensions and very good orientation, condition the volumetric organization. The building seeks a balance between formal singularity and intensive soil occupation to favor energy and constructive savings, on the one hand, and to achieve the maximum of free space, which takes advantage of the good insolation conditions and views of the sea. With a constructed area of more than 28,000 m2, the building, volumetrically, translates into a plinth of ground and first floor that fits in the limits of the plot and a double body in the shape of a V that rises to the 18th floor seeking the best views and recognizing the morphology of the towers of the immediate environment. The main access to the apart-hotel occurs from the corner formed at the intersection between Ramon de Penyafort Street and Carrer Llull. The flight of the first and second floors indicates and focuses the main access that leads to a large lobby where all accesses to the building take place. At the end of the lobby, a package of four elevators connects the entire building in height, and which disembark in the part where the two towers connect. Through this lobby, we also access a large outdoor staircase that unfolds over the two floors of the plinth, touring and providing access to all the program located on the ground floor and first floor, shops, bar, restaurant, outdoor terraces, lounge bar at night, etc. This large scale is located in this semi-open space between the towers, an interstitial space that, like cartilage, will function as a great Atrium. This regulates the climatic conditions of the access walkways to the rooms and contains hanging spaces of special use with splendid views, and with a spectacular morphology.

FUNCTIONALITY

It is a building of 270 rooms plus services, all of which have direct sun exposure in the morning or afternoon and all overlook the sea, the Besòs, or the Llobregat. Each of the towers is of a single bay, avoiding interior rooms. Therefore, all rooms have a balcony facing the facade and views, and all have access via walkways. However, the building is created by the set of two spatial and constructive logics: one for the "designated" spaces such as the rooms or apartments and program on the ground floor and another for the "Unassigned" spaces such as the hanging spaces in the Atrium. The designated space part responds to a more conventional and rigid construction system. The rest (the Unassigned) works as a cartilage, moldable to different actions, requirements and uses, and created with a lightweight construction system, and attached and hanging from the main structure, which strongly contrasts with this and gives it an exuberant aspect, both in morphology and texture and materiality, this being one of the singularities of the building.

ARCHITECTURAL QUALITY AND FAÇADES

The towers will be treated with two different membranes for each of their facades: The outer membrane of each tower, facing the sea, where all the terraces are located, is conceived with two skins. One of thermal closure with glazing and the second with deployed sheet metal panels that reinforce the volume and shape of the tower from afar, but allowing clear views from the rooms. This envelope performs as a solar filter and a canopy. We do not forget that it is a building in a Mediterranean climate; therefore, the treatment of light and thermal control is very important. The climatic goodness during 6 months a year also allows for semi-outdoor spaces with sea views. Therefore, from the inside, users will be able to enjoy Mediterranean terraces overlooking the sea protected from the sun. From afar, however, the repetitive panels take on the function of defining the volume of the building, creating a pattern in tune with the scale of the building, creating a play with the shining panels, treating the volumetrics as a whole object. The client and us, wanted to avoid a tight and inefficient glass Curtin wall skin, as happens in many hotels and give to users a fantastic controlled space to enjoy the city and views. On the other hand, the inner membrane of the towers, resembles a spider web of wood, it is this cartilaginous, and soft space we spoke of, which wraps both spaces and covers the Atrium. It is a semi-outdoor space that takes advantage of Barcelona's climate to become a pergola in different degrees of transparency depending on the orientation and the spaces it covers, and the use given to them.

PARAMETRIC DESIGN

Many parts of the building have been designed using parametric software, some with algorithmic processes of self-generation of form, and others simply in parametric modeling. The Atrium, for example, the interstitial ripped space generated when the two towers has been broken and separated to orient them to the views, has been developed computationally, through an algorithm that automatically generated the morphologies, with this poligonalized language that characterizes it. On the computational generation, we were seeking to the creation of an extra program fitted in the heterogenius final ripped morphologies. These volumes or forms will host the hanging meeting rooms,(Unassigned spaces) and other recreational spaces, such as wi-fi work area, a library, or a nursery, all covered by this fabric or cartilage. This process has been carried out with the crossing of data and parameters (total m2 available for this use, better orientation to light, restrictions of fire areas, structural capacity of the volumes), which when combined through the software, this generates infinite volumetric options, for us to choose the most convenient or efficient one. Once the generative process has been completed, and once the form and spaces have been created, without leaving the digital interface, using associative parametric functions. We have all the information stored as data. Every time we modify or adjust the building, formally, all parts and data are updated automatically, we can review built square meters, glass surfaces, length of profiles, carpentry, wooden slats, m3 of concrete, beams, and slabs of the hanging spaces, etc. each time and assess the economic impact that this new modification entails. We say then, that have worked on a generative model, a parametric model, and an associative model. Furtheron, this model will also allow us to extract all the information in 2D to generate detailed plans, build verification prototypes and final models, review of material finishes and volumetrics, even to tour the building inside and out thanks to digital flight simulations.

SUSTAINABILITY

This new building between Barcelona and Sant Adrià de Besòs has been designed with sustainability criteria both in the design process, in the selection of materials, and in the construction systems. We have to highlight the logic of the Atrium as a climatic filter element, the system of light balconies located around the building and the careful amount of voids regarding the total build area allows all rooms to enjoy cross ventilation, and control of solar radiation. With all this, a reduction in energy consumption is intended compared to a current standard building in terms of demand and energy consumption. Reduction of material impacts (energy, CO2) compared to standard construction, thanks to the prefabrication of bathrooms in the workshop. Throughout the whole, the use of high-efficiency appliances that reduce primary energy consumption is proposed. Once completed, the building will accommodate 270 apartments overlooking the sea and their own common spaces. The creation of this building represents the consolidation of the border between Sant Adrià de Besòs and Barcelona, near the Fòrum and with a marked Mediterranean character that promises to generate synergies and attract visitors to the area. In the design process of such a unique building, computational design strategies have been used with CAD CAM tools and the most advanced parametric design programs.