On 13 September 2024, the awareness-raising event titled “Architects as facilitators of the energy transition: experiences from Palma” was held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The event was aimed at architects who are interested in learning more about the ARV Climate Positive Circular Communities (CPCC) and are eager to play a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions from buildings.

Marta Amer, Director for Urban Innovation Projects in Palma City Council, and her colleague Lluc Amengual, ARV representative within the Palma City Council, opened the session. Amengual introduced the project and its ambitions at the regional and European level, emphasising that renovation is more essential than ever for multifamily buildings. He also stressed the importance of building owners being part of the conversation, as they can facilitate communication with architects and professionals in the social sector.

Marta Nicolau, social educator at Palma City Council, emphasised the importance of professional actors in the construction sector, such as architects and building developers, in accelerating the energy transition in neighborhoods that require financial support, like the Nou Llevant-La Soledat area. This is where the ARV project has been active since 2022.

Additionally, Jaume Salom from IREC, Oscar Negre from Metrovacesa, and David Mayol Laverde from IBAVI presented the three parts of the ARV demonstration project in Palma, respectively the GESA Building (where photovoltaic panels have recently been installed), the new highly efficient residential building in Nou Llevant, and the architectural quality of the 35 social housing units in La Soledat. Our keynote speaker, Claudi Aguiló Aran from dataAE, further elaborated on the latter.

Founder together with the engineer Albert Domingo of the multidisciplinary architecture studio dataAE, Aguiló explained how the architectural process for the 35 social housing units started – from entering the competition for the design of this project in an area next to the Can Ribes factory (industrial heritage building) – to then deepen on the design choices – such as using a masonry structure made of sandstone to respect the materials used in the surroundings. The relationship with the surroundings will be further strengthened by a communal garden which the residents will cross to enter their homes. The structure, made of marés, will withstand temperature changes. In addition, two galleries will filter the air in summer and capture the sun in winter. These choices were made to mitigate climate change and alleviate energy poverty in the area.

Attended by 29 people, the event ended up with an interactive guide of the 35 social housing units in Nou Llevant-La Soledat, which are still under construction.

Find more information about the ARV Climate Positive Circular Community in Palma de Mallorca at this link.

Find the speakers’ presentations at this link.

The event was hosted at the Architects Chamber of the Balearic Islands (COAIB) premises and organised by the ARV partners Palma City Council and the Architects’ Council of Europe. It was the first of a series of workshops dedicated to architects who want to learn more about ARV’s innovative solutions in 6 Climate Positive Circular Communities around Europe.

The second workshop is scheduled to take place in October 2024 in Oslo. More information will be provided soon.