Consórcio Algarve STP/Algarve TIC

Basically, the building will be formed by a U element leveled above the street corresponding to a floor and also a floor and a half below the street level. On the floor below the street level, the “U” will be closed and the central space will be covered with light cover.

From its formal layout, a semi-exterior covered space appears, confined by the building, that will function as a “square” to which the building accesses will circulate and that will serve as multipurpose space, for exhibitions, leisure space, etc.

The large central space will have favorable climatic conditions that result from its exposure, closed to South quadrant through the coverage and protected from the remaining quadrants by the construction elements.

The conception in its whole and the advocated construction proceeding were provided, with the important goal of avoiding construction losses and waste of energy, having present comfort parameters and appropriate material’s durability.

Buildings are the second larger energy consumers and, accordingly, the second largest in terms of Co2 emissions.

These two facts, adding to the energy price’s escalade, led the European Union to create a set of directives in respect to the implementation of energy efficient measures in the building’s area, which were recently transposed into the national legislation.

Therefore, in order to reduce energetic consumption as well as consequential Co2 emissions and optimizing the energetic rational use, the following steps are proposed:

1) Sunscreen:

The Portuguese climate and, especially, the one in the Algarve, give rise to high solar radiation incidence in buildings. To avoid its harmful effects, the South, East and West building’s front will have regulated sunscreen flaps;

2) Thermal quality optimizing the surrounding areas in order to reduce thermal loads and provide the building of mechanisms that decrease energetic dependence;

3) Implementation and verification of new thermal regulations, leading to an appropriate control of passive solar capture according to the respective needs;

4) Glazed area optimized in order to provide a good reception and use of natural light versus artificial lighting;

5) Use of external conditions in order to provide the building with free cooling during the night. The night’s natural airing is intended to remove the thermal load accumulated during night and is made by the admission of openings in the compartments, located in a low level, and exhaustion openings at a high level;

6) Consumption optimization with artificial lighting due to an adjusted control to the natural light entry;

7) Thermal fluids acclimatization, warm and cold water, with centralized production through two Geothermal Heat Pumps (BCG). BCG’s were used for their high COP, in order to minimize the consumption;

8) Setup of enthalpy counters (to allow the thermal energy consumption measure) in the building areas that are expected to be independent;

9) Use of solar energy appropriation passive systems for atmosphere heating;

10) Rainwater and similar sewerage network, serving the rooftop and terraces straining, discharging and storing in cisterns, which are equipped with a tube connected to public network, or to drainage ditches at the building’s surrounding. The stored water can be used in part of restrooms’ equipments, and eventually in washes. If the estimated cisterns are built accordingly, some of them can also be used for irrigation.

11) Natural night system ventilation setup, electrically acted using photovoltaic solar energetic panels captors;

12) The SGTC centralized technical management system implementation has the following primal guiding objectives:

A – Simplify and, as much as possible, automatize the complex’s technical facilities exploration, controlling and monitoring failures and energetic consumption in what concerns to the different technical facilities;

B – Supervise and control various systems and facilities in order to ensure an economical operation action polity and its rational and integrated exploration;

C – Make available, in a centralized mode, all relevant information, with the resulting benefits either at the exploration level, either at the maintenance area;

D – Exchanging information between the various systems to optimize the complex’s overall management.

Owner:

Algarve STP/Algarve TIC Consortium

Localiton:

Parque das Cidades

Loulé/Faro

Construction Area:

9.635m²

Project:

2006/07

Program:

Building designed for various activities, including laboratory spaces, research, business, factories, formation and meeting rooms, as well as an auditorium.

Team:

Architecture

– João Cottinelli Telmo Pardal Monteiro – Architect

– Manuel Cottinelli Telmo Pardal Monteiro – Architect

– António Pedro Batista Pardal Monteiro – Architect

– Sónia Machado Mendes

– Ana Sofia Beja

– Rita Almeida Martins

– Diogo Pinheiro

– Bruno Appolloni de Almeida

– Rodrigo Moutinho

Foundations and Structure

– Paulo Reis – Engineer

Mechanical Equipment and Facilities

– José Galvão Teles – Engineer

Water and Sewage Equipment and Facilities

Grade Ribeiro – Engineer

Electrical Equipment and Facilities

Silvino Maio / Lacerda Moreira – Engineers

Landscaping

– Pedro Batalha – Landscape Architect

Safety and Fire Protection

– António Portugal – Architect

Centralized Technique Management

– António Trindade – Engineer