dataAE + HArquitectes: Student Housing

Using prefabricated concrete elements, this low building invests in energy efficiency and adapts to the low-density surroundings, while seeking to reinforce the volume's relationship with the campus.

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Barcelona-based studios dataAE and HArquitectes have recently completed a student housing on the same block as the School of Architecture, inside the ETSAV campus, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona. The low building adapts to the low-density surroundings, while seeking to reinforce the volume's relationship with the campus. A central community patio intertwines nature and the building.

The residential program is characterised by extreme flexibility in all spaces: inside each of the 57 housing units; in the 1000 square metre atrium, which can be used as a space for social events; and inside an intermediate bioclimatic space that allows improvement of the building's energetic efficiency.

Using prefabricated concrete modules with a minimum number of fixed elements, the construction process simplified finishings in order to invest in energy efficiency. The factory manufacturing allows for time savings, greater execution controls, use of dry construction and minimizing waste materials during the construction process. The construction elements can be disassembled, recycled and reused.

dataAE, <em>Student Housing</em> inside the ETSAV campus, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain 2012 — dataAE, *Student Housing* inside the ETSAV campus, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain 2012

dataAE: Student Housing inside the ETSAV campus
Architects: dataAE + HArquitectes
Location: Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura del Vallès (ETSAV) campus, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
Program: Student housing
Number of residential units: 57
Surface: 3.101 sqm