Category: Architectural Studio in Calpe

There are many reasons why we need a circular economy in architecture. Given that we only have one planet Earth and that on May 12th we exhausted in Spain all the resources we had for the entire year (we are already using resources from the future), it is urgent to apply the circular economy that exists in many areas and dimensions. Architecture cannot be less, therefore, it is necessary to redefine our relationship with buildings as a whole, considering their use and how they can be reused more efficiently. To better understand what circular architecture means, we must first understand what the term circular economy consists of:

What is the circular economy?

It is one of the main challenges we face in the context of our interdependent world. It is an economy based on a closed-loop model that involves the generation, production, supply, and use of resources, where each segment of the system tries to minimize its impact on the environment and to do so seeks to create a flow of products or services that recovers possible energy costs through reuse and recycling.

How is the circular economy applied to architecture?

This is where the concept of circular architecture comes into play. It is a revolutionary concept that aims for buildings to be sustainable and environmentally friendly based on a circular economy. This means that, instead of consuming resources from nature and others, buildings could be designed in such a way that these natural resources are recycled and create new products for use: In this way, the circular economy means that no more waste will be generated, as we can reuse things over and over again by producing new things.

Circular architecture is a new way of designing buildings, which involves the use of circular elements and references. In recent decades, it has mainly been about objects or products, but we must now start from circularity as a tool to design user experiences. This approach could be applied not only to our buildings but also to urban centers and the cities themselves to improve habitability.

How is it different from conventional architecture?

Our conception of architecture is linear. We start with a point and then move towards a specific objective. This way of designing is not sustainable, because we are always looking for bigger answers, with more resources. To better understand what circular architecture means, we must first understand how we have been designing buildings until now: we have been designing buildings as if they were alive, as if they were living organisms. But that is not the case. It is just a biological process that needs energy and water.

The reality of the construction sector:

The design of buildings and their technology is a major consumer of natural resources, energy, and waste. It is urgent to apply circular architecture. This implies a total change of mentality in our way of doing architecture and the emergence of new professional specialties. The construction sector is one of the main consumers of natural resources and energy, and it is also responsible for more than 45% of the waste we generate.

Why circular?

Our worldview is circular. It is about cycles, about systems and processes that change slowly and that can be traced back in time to their origin and forward to their end. It is about the richness of life that, from one moment to the next, evolves in a continuous dance with nature. And it deals with buildings, both physical structures and abstract concepts that last for decades or centuries.

Circular architecture is based on the idea that we need a new design process, where design is no longer just something we do, but has become an integral part of our culture. The current traditional model of building design is based on a linear paradigm: you start with an idea and build what you imagine before presenting it to the client.

The circular economy represents a major change in the way buildings and products are designed. It means designing things that work the same as in our grandparents’ time, but using the same resources, materials, and energy sources as today. This change in mentality would lead to a balance between consumption and production, between the product life cycle and the consumption cycle. Structures would be designed with durability as the main design objective so that they can last several years or even centuries.

With the circular economy in mind, a new generation of architects and professionals should evolve that leads us to create more sustainable buildings. The best way to do this is perhaps by creating a school of architecture that leads to these specialized professions.

The importance of surrounding yourself with good architects: Arquifach

Building a home is a process whose success depends on many factors. The best way to ensure it is to count on architects who offer guarantees. A guarantee that is based on experience. It is important to choose an architecture studio that guides you throughout the process from the initial design to the delivery of the final documentation to inhabit the house, that has experience in the area and qualified personnel to carry out the comprehensive management of the project, but above all that designs according to your needs and expectations.

Green roofs or vegetative covers are increasingly becoming widespread as an energy-saving option that also contributes to the healthiness of our cities’ atmospheres. What exactly are they? How do they work? How are they installed? In this article, we will review the advantages and disadvantages of this architectural trend.

Definition of Green Roofs

As we have already said, green roofs are a trend. Building designs with vegetative covers are spreading in our urban centers. Contrary to what it might seem, it is not about placing plants in individual containers, but about a permanent installation that is part of the building and allows covering the entire extension of a building’s roof with plant elements.

Types of Green Roofs

Depending on their complexity, the type of vegetation, and their accessibility, there are different types of green roofs. We can divide them into the following classification:

• Extensive: characterized by a lightweight thickness. Their total weight is low, and the visual effect is that of a meadow with grass. They do not support much weight, therefore their accessibility is limited.
• Semi-intensive: in this case, the type of vegetation is more complex and requires more maintenance. It is more ornamental than the previous one, and the soil layer has greater weight. It is a space that can be walked on by people.
• Intensive: this type of green roof includes heavier plant species such as shrubs or trees. This means that the structure must be prepared to support a lot of weight, including the transit of people enjoying the space as if it were a park.

Advantages of Green Roofs

Green roofs are more than just a good energy-saving system. Urban centers concentrate more and more population, more traffic, and therefore more energy consumption that produces substances harmful to health. The construction of buildings and streets made of asphalt is inevitable to concentrate so many people in a reduced space. However, it is essential to maintain green spaces that help cool the environment and renew the air. Green roofs are a viable option that can help improve the quality of life in cities.

There are two types of advantages regarding green roofs: general ones and specific ones that affect the building. Let’s start with the general ones:

• Air purification: as we have already pointed out, they have a direct effect on reducing air pollution.
• Increase in biodiversity: they allow for the inclusion of different plant species and can also be the perfect home for insects, birds, and other species that otherwise would not have a place in the city.

The advantages related to the building are multiple, below we list some of them:

• Regulate the building’s temperature: they absorb heat and act as insulators. Therefore, they prevent sudden temperature changes. They also have a protective effect on roofs and walls.
• Save energy: thanks to their insulating power, they produce savings in heating and air conditioning.
• Improve quality of life: green spaces have a positive effect on people’s mental health. When it is a walkable space, it is clearly a relaxation space that the building’s residents can enjoy. We must not forget that they also add aesthetic value to the building. In some cases, it can even be used as a garden or for other activities.
• Insulate from noise: the insulating effect is not only for temperature. They also help reduce typical city noises.
• Prevent fire from spreading in case of fire: this is due to the humidity caused by the vegetation itself.
• Long lifespan: compared to conventional roofs, they have a much longer useful life. Conventional materials are exposed to heat, cold, rain, etc., so they deteriorate much sooner. For this to be the case, the installation must be adequate from the start.

Disadvantages of Green Roofs

Not everything could be good; the truth is that this type of roof also has some disadvantages. The main one is its installation cost. Both in execution and maintenance, it requires greater cost planning. In contrast, we can argue that its useful life is much longer as long as proper waterproofing and good execution of the joints have been carried out. Furthermore, we must not forget that it will represent long-term energy savings.

Unfortunately, not all buildings can have this type of structure, as it means extra weight added to the structure. That is why there are many buildings where this type of installation could not be done.

Poor installation can cause water leaks and dampness. Therefore, it is essential to surround yourself with good architects when making structural modifications to a building.

The importance of surrounding yourself with good architects: Arquifach

Building a home is a process whose success depends on many factors. The best way to ensure it is to count on architects who offer guarantees. A guarantee that is based on experience. It is important to choose an architecture studio that guides you throughout the process from the initial design to the delivery of the final documentation to inhabit the house, that has experience in the area and qualified personnel to carry out the comprehensive management of the project, but above all that designs according to your needs and expectations.

Whenever we tackle an outdoor project, the challenge of lighting arises, something that at Arquifach we take very much into account. Our homes are located in dream locations. In beautiful towns on the Costa Blanca such as: Calpe, Altea, Benissa, Teulada, or Moraira; which require us to pay special attention to the spaces that will surround the project. When we have chosen well and the natural environment gives us tranquility and calm, it is vital to take advantage of that context in the design of our project. Outdoor areas can be used for leisure or rest, or a mix of both.

How can we design outdoor spaces?

By distributing and delimiting areas according to their use and using elements that contribute to us. Plants and shrubs can facilitate the use of spaces. Adding lawn or paved areas will also help establish visual boundaries and assign roles to each area. It is all about, above all, making the most of the sunny days that our beloved Costa Blanca offers us.

The light on the Costa Blanca is special. With more than 300 days of sunshine a year and a dreamlike temperature, lighting outdoor areas allows us to enjoy them, both day and night.

How to light the outdoor areas of our home?

When it comes to perfectly lighting outdoor areas, some doubts usually arise. Such as the number of spotlights your patio requires. The amount of lumens it needs. Or even, the type of luminaires that suit it best. Our perspective as architects leads us to approach the design from an optimal point between functionality and design. Energy saving will always be present in the choice of lighting type. Nowadays, one of the best options is LED lighting.

Advantages of LED Lighting

Energy savings: LED lighting is the technology with which we will reduce energy expenditure between 70% and 90%. They are more resistant and have greater autonomy. Therefore, replacement will be less. It also reduces light pollution and avoids the use of copper from old luminaires.

Wide design options: LED lights offer us a range of options in terms of colors, tones, and direction of the light beam. They can be spotlights with a specific direction, such as the floor, the ceiling, or objects like statues or trees. Or they can have a linear shape and offer homogeneous lighting. The total space must be considered for the design, so that different atmospheres can be created, each with its personalized touch.

Which LED lighting to choose?

If we are talking about outdoors, the recommendation is that the lights have a protection of at least IP65. This determines their durability against the effects of weather such as rain, high temperatures, humidity, etc. Below you can read the list of the most common types:

• LED strips: although their installation is somewhat complicated, they offer homogeneous lighting and their size allows them to be camouflaged so that they blend in with the environment.
• LED wall lights: unlike strips, wall lights are visible, and therefore they usually have different designs to choose from. They are often used to illuminate walls.
• LED beacons: they are used to illuminate specific points. They offer a softer light, perfect for more private and chill-out atmospheres.
• LED spotlights: They consume 80% less, have reduced maintenance costs, good luminous efficiency, do not generate heat, and start instantly. They also offer different designs to suit our space.

How can we design outdoor spaces?

How to apply lighting to our outdoor areas? Through design, because outdoor light, like indoor light, requires prior planning. You have to visualize the space and find the specific points that require light, or that will be enhanced by lighting.

The importance of surrounding yourself with good architects: Arquifach

Building a home is a process whose success depends on many factors. The best way to ensure it is to count on architects who offer guarantees. A guarantee that is based on experience. It is important to choose an architecture studio that guides you throughout the process from the initial design to the delivery of the final documentation to inhabit the house, that has experience in the area and qualified personnel to carry out the comprehensive management of the project, but above all that designs according to your needs and expectations.

The International Style, also called Rationalism, was the predominant architectural trend between 1925 and 1965 and was responsible for the homogenization of various cities around the world.

How did international contemporary architecture emerge?

After the First World War, the West energetically oriented itself towards industrialization and mechanization, and architecture was not a discipline alien to these processes. This is how trends emerged that relied on new technologies to obtain cheaper, faster-to-produce materials and, ultimately, more utilitarian projects. In Europe, this movement would be called Functionalism and it is the germ of what would later be known as the “International Style”.

Despite everything, the true rise of the International Style was due to the fact that after the Second World War, many cities were devastated by the war. That is when the International Style hatched as a quick and cheap option to return life to cities. Because of all this, its popularity spread throughout the world, becoming the “unofficial” national architecture of all of North America during the 50s and 60s of the last century.

Precisely its enormous success precipitated its fall from grace throughout the 70s, since becoming such a popular style made one city indistinguishable from another. The International Style was accused of eliminating the personality of communities and locking individuals in glass boxes. At the end of the decade, the International Style was replaced by postmodernism.

What does international contemporary architecture consist of?

The International Style emphasized above all the volume of space but allowing the passage of natural light through windows that created a blurred line between the exterior and interior of the building.

As we have already commented, one of the basic pillars of international architecture consisted of the use of cheap and functional materials, so concrete, steel and glass were the most predominant in this architectural style.
Similarly, geometry, right angles and uniformity became the norm, dispensing with decorations to focus on simple, generally monochromatic facades in natural colors or white.

The environment became another extension of the buildings, in which the structural elements of straight lines contrasted against the curvilinear forms of nature, as Le Corbusier commented: “Space, light and order. These are things that men need as much as bread or a place to sleep.”

What are the most famous buildings of the International Style?

Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, this chapel located in France is considered one of the most significant examples of International Style architecture. This building, in which Catholic worship is still carried out today, perfectly fulfills the five points for the new Architecture of Le Corbusier:

• Pilotis
• Free design of the ground plan
• Free design of the facade
• The horizontal window
• Roof gardens

The German Pavilion. Designed by Mies Van der Rohe to represent Germany at the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, it became an icon of international architecture. Conceived to host the reception for the exposition authorities, it was built using classic modernist materials such as steel and glass combined with different types of marble.

Fallingwater. This house, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939, is situated above a waterfall on the Bear Run river. Its construction created a new paradigm in which the relationship between architecture and nature was reconsidered.
Characterized by its structure of three horizontally superimposed levels, it stands out for its symbiosis with the surrounding natural environment.

As many of you already know, the architecture of Arquifach Arquitectos is committed to efficient and ecological design and construction, with windows playing a major role. We want to do our bit to halt the climate catastrophe, always striving to maintain maximum comfort. The recent war conflict between Russia and Ukraine, among other factors, has disproportionately increased gas, electricity, and fuel bills. More than ever, we need to design and build trying to ensure consumption is fair and necessary, making energy saving our ally and leading us to more efficient and intelligent consumption.

The Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE) estimates that the energy consumption of our homes equals one-fifth of the consumption of all Spain. This same body calculates that, of all the energy our home consumes, heating occupies one of the highest percentages in our bill, specifically 47% of it. That is why this winter we want to offer you a series of changes and renovations that can help you reduce your expenses and, furthermore, improve the environment.

How to design and build contributing to energy saving?

There are many key factors that influence energy saving. The most important are the following:

• Guarantee airtightness against outside air, minimizing the so common infiltrations.
• Eliminate thermal bridges where thermal transmittance is higher, resulting in considerable energy loss.
• Use optimal and quality windows.
• Efficient thermal insulation for conditioning a home.
• Mechanical or intelligent ventilation that forces air extraction to renew it and thus guarantee indoor air quality.

In this article, we are going to review the requirements and characteristics that windows must have to be optimal and efficient. Why windows? Because they are one of the key pieces to guarantee several of the previous points. Using quality windows guarantees insulation and airtightness. They also guarantee very low thermal transmittance, great acoustic insulation, and reflection or maintenance of energy in the different seasons.

Another reason to focus on windows is the way they influence our mental health. Why? Natural light directly influences our health and mood. At an immunological level, it helps eliminate bacteria typical of dark and humid scenarios. The best way to generate natural light is through windows in ceilings and walls, as well as a correct selection of color and/or materials that reflect it.

Before talking about windows, we must consider their components to make a good choice:

The glass: According to the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE), glass occupies three-quarters of the opening, so it is the part most exposed to thermal exchange with the outside. There are two types:

• Low-emissivity glass, which loses less energy than conventional ones.
• Selective glass: designed for areas where both energy losses in winter and gains in summer need to be controlled.

Double glazing, known as IGU (Insulated Glass Unit). These include an air chamber capable of providing insulation between the inside and outside.

The frame is also very important. The best insulators are wood and PVC, especially when it has a hollow profile with six chambers (this is also the most expensive option). It is not advisable to opt for metal frames, as this material is a good thermal conductor and does not work well as an insulator. If choosing frames of this type, it is important to ensure they have a thermal break.

What is PVC and why is it a good material for windows?

PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride. It is a material obtained from the chemical mixture of carbon, hydrogen, and chlorine. One of its advantages is its lightness and the low environmental impact of its manufacture.

Advantages of PVC windows

• Resistance: for interiors and exteriors, resisting the passage of time and extreme weather conditions.
• Acoustic insulation: important for mental health.
• Functionality: you will find a variety of windows with different types of openings, which add different functionalities and presentations.
• Thermal insulation: a good indicator of its effectiveness as an insulator is the energy label indicated by its manufacturer.

Smart windows

If we are seeking perfection on an energy level, we can complement the installation of good windows with smart devices that help us maintain control depending on the temperature. They work like blinds or with glass that changes opacity depending on the time of day. This way they regulate the amount of light and heat entering through the window. There are three different modes of use:

• Summer mode: the window lets all light through and blocks heat (allows you to do without electric light).
• Siesta mode: prevents both light and heat from entering.
• Winter mode: lets light and heat through and helps heat the house.

Arquifach Arquitectos Calpe

Contact Arquifach, Calpe architecture studio, without obligation. We study the viability of your project and offer advice on the renovation of new single-family homes or tourist apartment buildings. Count on the support of a team specialized in the Costa Blanca. Arquifach handles the entire renovation process and planning, adapting it to the client’s needs and complying with municipal regulations.