Ecological resistance
Rambla Climate House in Spain
© José Hevia
The suburbs of Molina de Segura, a city in eastern Spain, extend into the arid, landslide-prone hills of Murcia. The Rambla Climate House rises on stilts above the craggy verge of a gorge, a place with the greatest degree of fecundity and biological abundance that would normally be sacrificed to the requirements of quick, standardized urban growth.
The metal, nave-like structure floats on steel columns above the steep terrain. © José Hevia
Use of all resources
The spaces that get more light and heat in the summer are covered with solar collectors in order to exploit the sun’s energy. On the other hand, spaces that are colder in winter have been covered with thermo panels, which reduce the need for heating.
Hot water is sourced from the rooftop recuperator. A long marble bench surrounds the inner courtyard and invites the residents to cool off on its surface when the heat becomes too much.
The home’s water supply and hot-water coils run above the marble path. © José Hevia
Rather than keeping these systems hidden away, this house displays them openly. After one year of operation, the ecological system has slowly regenerated: new trees have grown and the vegetation is starting to naturally re-establish itself.
© José Hevia
© José Hevia
Unlike a typical courtyard house, which creates a sheltered interior, at the Rambla Climate House the architects welcome the impermanent and unstable. Outside, the ring-shaped gable roof shakes: at times the steel deck expands to cover the interior spaces; at other times it bulges to form a top above the inner courtyard. The glazing opens onto the road to the south and to the terrace, beneath which the parking spots are located. Other facades have smaller, convex windows. The living spaces, painted consistently in pale green, convey a pleasant atmosphere without seeming too sumptuous.
© José Hevia
Cooperation
This special building is the result of Offpolinn’s cooperation with architect Miguel Mesa de Castillo, edaphologist María Martínez-Mena and ecologists Paz Parrondo Celdrán and Rubén Vives. The planners hope their project will raise awareness even among people who otherwise feel helpless in the face of the global climate crisis. The project won the 2022 Living Places - Simon Architecture Prize.
A video guides you through the building.
Architecture: Andrés Jaque / Office for Political Innovation + Miguel Mesa del Castillo
Location: Molina de Segura, Murcia (ES)
Structural engineering: Qube Ingeniería
Gallery
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