Opening of the Norvento Headquarters in Lugo built by SANJOSE, "Zero Energy" building that covers all energy needs with renewable energy
19/03/2018

The new headquarters of the renewable energy company, designed by Francisco Mangado and built by SANJOSE, is located between an industrial park which it seems to turn away from and a forest it seems to embrace, achieves and easily recognisable and totally remote image of the usual concept.

The Norvento headquarters is composed of two buildings with a total built surface amounting to 4,644 sqm, landscaped areas and an outdoor parking with 54 spaces. The main building consists of a warehouse of 190 meters in length from which five modules emerge in the rear facade in the form of a fan accessing a green area that seems to join the aforementioned forest. This organisation of the plant extended and integrated into the environment allows placing each department in an autonomous area, while providing the possibility of easily accessing all other areas and ensuring potential future expansion.

The interior architecture stands out for its simplicity, the predominance of light (several skylights) and its formal beauty, where geometric lines stand out, mainly in meeting spaces.

The building is energetically autonomous and is not connected to the network. It includes energy saving measures, such as insulation of 10 centimetres thick, light roofs with photovoltaic panels in the parking area, rainwater collection, cross ventilation and a solar collector system on the roof (covered in zinc -TECU- covering a copper tube circuit through which a conductive fluid circulates).

The new headquarters is one of the most sustainable buildings in Europe. The building's electricity resources will be mainly three: photovoltaic panels (60%), a state-of-the-art wind turbine (35%) and a biomass boiler (5%). In addition, it is complemented by an electric storage system based on 1,000 kWh lithium batteries. Heating is supported by a geothermal heat pump system fed exclusively on renewable energy.

At the opening ceremony, the Chairman and founder of Norvento, Mr. Pablo Fernández Castro, and management were accompanied by the President of the Xunta, Mr. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the European Commissioner of Action for Climate, Miguel Arias Cañete, various local authorities, directors of SANJOSE Constructora, etc.

Awards and recognitions to the project:

- American Architecture Prize 2017 for Architecture & Design / Other Architecture.

- Barcelona Building Construmat Award. Finalist and mention of the jury in the category of architecture in built works 2017.

- Silver Medal on the XII Edition of the International Prize of Sustainable Architecture FASSA BARTOLO 2017. Promoted by the Faculty of Architecture, Università degli Studi di Ferrara.