Resumen de Applying sustainability to existing architectural heritage. A practical example: adaptive reuse in a 1960s building in Valladolid (Spain)
How should sustainability be applied in an existing building situated in a consolidated, dense urban context? Could sustainable criteria be adapted at any scale? Are those criteria opposed to the values of architectural heritage? Is that possible to maintain the original design values, simultaneously modernize and revitalize it, improving its biodiversity and quality? What is the role of its urban image when confronted with ecological awareness? All these questions arose when the owners of an existing building of the 60s decided to intervene and adapt the building to present-day standards. The building is representative of its time: highly dense, with a steel structure, with expressive horizontal lines, long galleries and terraces and yellow brick façades. New use patterns arising from the last crisis pushed the owners to renovate and adapt the building, by changing the program of the two first stories, while keeping the original 68 dwellings. The former offices on the ground and first floors have been converted to 12 new apartments. The challenge covers various matters, which have been approached through the three pillars of the New European Bauhaus: Environmental tasks optimizing the bioclimatic performance, oriented towards improving, air quality and reducing energy demands: by means of strong insulation systems as well as mechanical cross ventilation strategies, 55 % of energy demand has been saved. Embodied energy in building materials and circular economy have been considered as well. Social improvements: the new apartments cover current living standards, with flexible as well as large, common spaces with equipment, greenery, and improving the accessibility for all. Special attention was placed on showcasing and reinforcing the original architectural values of the building. The original aesthetic choices of the building have served as an inspiration for the new interventions. The use of similar yellow brick in the internal and external surfaces maintain the original patterns, as well as the glazed band that clads the first floor. The open connection between the existing courtyards (patios) conforms an open, spacious corridor which enlarges the common areas, improving lighting and ventilation, and introducing biophilia in the previous density of the block. The relationship between applied arts and architecture, common in the 1960’s, has been revitalized and enhanced through this intervention, by researching the original typographies, and introducing site-specific artworks commissioned to local artists.
