Orona Zero
6 december 2019
Project: Orona Zero, Hernani | Spain
Architect: Barrutieta + Goikoetxea + delaFuente + Perez | Spain
Fabricator & Installer: Uxama Fachadas Singulares, Biscay | Spain
Façade System: Glued
Year of Construction: 2014
Product: ALUCOBOND® naturAL Reflect
Photos: Agustín Sagasti
ENERGY CYCLE
In the Basque city of San Sebastian, the cycle of nature is never far away. This is where mountains meet the ocean, leaves barely rustle after wild winds calm, and summer sun follows torrential rainfall. Exactly the right place to locate a building which makes effective and economical use of natural resources, and where architect Xabier Barrutieta has built a campus for the company, Orona. By scaling up the company’s circular logo, he created the contours of the corporate headquarters building: A hollow cylinder tilted at 15° and partially set into the ground. Due to the way the building is inclined, its south side is below ground; in contrast, the side facing the city to the north rises up from ground-level and creates a covered entrance in the courtyard. Barrutieta’s decision to use a leaning circular shape was primarily in order to achieve a nearly zero energy building. As the sloping north side extends upwards, it ensures both good natural light in the office space and also good shade. On the south, there is a thermal buffer zone overlooking the courtyard, which is where the access routes and communication areas are located. The south-facing pitch of the roof is optimal for the 1,000 photovoltaic panels mounted there. The façade also responds to its environment. It consists of 2,000 triangles, some transparent, some translucent and others opaque. Parametric computer design calculated how to position them, taking into account solar yield, daylight, access to external views and privacy. The underside of the building is clad in ALUCOBOND® elements in naturAL Reflect. The reflective panels channel daylight onto shaded parts, not only making the entrance area brighter, more attractive and safer but also creating a direct visual reference to the lower-lying road. They reflect life in public areas: passers-by, people who meet up and chat, passing cars, birds and plants in the wind. The mirrored façade illustrates the core of this architectural concept: Each Building is part of a natural cycle, one which includes the city and countryside around it and the people who live there.