Head office location for the law firm Cuatrecasas

Located in a strategic area close to multiple prestigious sites, the architects behind this project were faced with a major challenge. This building on the edge of the district of Poblenou, the head office location for the international law firm Cuatrecasas, was duty bound to obtain Gold certification under the LEED programme (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design). This certificate is the international benchmark similar to the French HQE for the construction of sustainable and high-performance buildings.
With the dual objective of maintaining privacy, guaranteeing effective screening from the sun and achieving the right quality of light for the administrative functions of the building, the Screen Nature fabric played a central role in both the technical and environmental domain.

High-profile environmental project

With the objective of achieving energy savings of up to 30% compared to traditional high-rise buildings, the firm GCA Architects designed a 28,000m² area accommodating some 1,000 people that stands out for its:

• Pure and minimalist glass facades that fully meet the architectural criteria of the district;
• Two 10-floor and 17-floor towers reaching a height of up to 72 metres;
• Three-floor glass atrium linking the towers and enabling natural light to penetrate into the building.

"…We needed to obtain LEED Gold certification: the materials selected had to have zero or low environmental impact. Source, composition… the Screen Nature fabric from Mermet met all the environmental and technical specifications in terms of openness factor, letting natural light into the building... 8,000m² of the Screen Nature fabric, colour Bronze 1134, giving a total of some 1,500 blinds installed by the blind maker CORTISA, S.L.. The perception of light and optical and thermal comfort is different from one person to the next, so our main challenge was to find a solution that satisfied all the building’s occupants. Installing an indoor blind that everyone is able to adjust to their own taste gave us much more flexibility. From the aesthetic point of view, the extensive range of colours and fabrics made it easier to integrate the screens within the ambiance we were seeking to create ... » Juan Velasco Garcia de Sierra – GCA Architects.

High quality fabric

Free of PVC, halogens, polyester… the mineral composition of the Screen Nature fabric has minimal environmental impact. Incombustible and free of smoke emissions, it is rated M0 (NFP 92 503), Euroclass A2-s1-d0, F0, meeting all the health & safety requirements. This fabric with excellent transparency offers multiple benefits:

• Very high glare control: up to 95 % of sunlight is filtered out;
• Optimum thermal comfort with up to 82% of the solar energy reflected back

By meeting ever more demanding standards, Mermet enables buildings to reduce their carbon footprint.

©  GCA Architects - Cuatrecasas - Cortisa, S.L. - Saviat - Marcela Grassi Photography - Mermet SAS