Conceptual Architectural Design
The preliminary design is the first phase of any real estate operation and is one of the project stages where our studio provides the most value.
Working with a studio specialized in sustainable, efficient, and healthy architecture means approaching the project from a comprehensive and holistic perspective, considering multiple factors.
We begin with an extensive conversation with clients, during which a lifestyle questionnaire is completed, and references, needs, and investment budget are discussed.
Following this initial conversation, we visit the site together, where topics discussed during the meeting are reviewed, and orientation, access, and implementation options are assessed.
With this preliminary information, along with a topographical study of the land and a review of municipal regulations, the architectural preliminary design process begins. This project is approached with rigor, common sense, and experience accumulated in numerous projects to achieve a design adapted to our client’s needs and budget, while also respecting the basic premises of sustainable and healthy architecture:
1. Achieving net-zero energy consumption
A project whose starting point is the achievement of net-zero energy consumption, reducing demand through passive means—those that do not require energy to function, such as solar capture and protection, natural cross-ventilation, thermal inertia, insulation, or airtightness—and supplying the remaining demand through active means that operate with renewable energy.
2. Minimizing environmental and planetary impact, respecting the principles of sustainable architecture and bio-construction
We believe that architecture must be approached consciously, respecting the environment in which it is implemented and carrying out a closed-loop project and construction process where most materials have a life cycle based on the circular economy.
The circular economy is based on keeping products and resources in circulation for as long as possible. In this sense, working with durable noble materials that are recoverable or recyclable at the end of their useful life is a basic strategy for building in harmony with the planet.
Furthermore, we prioritize materials with a reduced ecological footprint, low embodied energy, and local origin, not only reducing our impact but also supporting stable communities—a permaculture applied to architecture where resources are produced, recovered, and reused within a limited geographical area, minimizing our impact and contributing to global sustainability.
Bio-construction, one of the foundations of our studio and a discipline in which we have trained and worked for over 10 years, boasts an extensive network of specialized collaborators with whom we constantly consult on various aspects of our projects through the Spanish Institute of Bio-construction network.
3. Respecting people’s health and well-being
Our projects are based on the premise of improving quality of life, and to achieve this, the health and well-being of the people occupying the spaces we design are the priority in all our projects.
How to achieve a healthy space?
We must address the quality of a space from multiple angles that influence the physical and emotional well-being of its occupants.
To create a healthy space, we will consider the following factors:
A HOLISTIC ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT
We believe in approaching any architectural project from a holistic perspective that considers multiple factors simultaneously, resulting in an exceptional environment.
A holistic architectural project is based on the following criteria:
Ultimately, a project that improves our quality of life and is in harmony with the planet—an exceptional environment.
Preliminary Design Process
The first phase of the preliminary design begins with a meeting at the client’s selected home or space, where a questionnaire on needs and requirements is completed, and a budget and timeline for both project phases and construction are established.
Additionally, a joint visit to the site is conducted, complemented by visits from a topographer and a geologist—the latter visits the site once the construction location is decided to optimize the results of the subsurface study.
After these initial meetings where information is gathered, a first contact is made with the city council to resolve potential issues regarding municipal regulations and construction license deadlines.
From this point, a project team consisting of the project director, a senior architect, and a junior architect develops the initial proposal.
This proposal will be reviewed jointly with the client in various meetings until a finalized preliminary design is reached, allowing us to proceed to the next phase.