SELF SUFFICIENT NEIGHBOURHOOD

BLOCK A2

The objective of this project is to study the Solar Analysis of a provided block in the Self Sufficient Neighbourhood of Barcelona, and develop a Parametric Solar Panelling Envelope for the block that would help generate enough energy for the occupants of the block.

In this specific block; Block A2 , the goal was to first try and manipulate the geometry of the block and restack the block in a manner that would generate more electricity than the initial block, then develop a panelling and window system that can be applied to the whole block as an envelope. After the preferred geometry of the block had been decided on, the sizes of the PhotoVoltaic panelling were assigned based on the programs of the block; with the Commercial units offsetted at 16cm off the frame of the unit, the Office units offsetted at 32cm and the Residential units offsetted at 64cm. Since the residential units cannot have openings all over, the distribution of panels and windows for this program varies, with the southern facade offsetting at 80cm since it is the facade that receives the most solar radiation. No solar panels were applied to the northern facade of the block since it received very little solar radiation due to the fact that the preceding block (Block A1) shadows it.

Thereafter, three points on the sun path; with the highest solar radiation hours, were assigned as attractor points for the envelope to extrude at an angle following these points. This results in an envelope with a distorted shape rather than flat facades, with angles that allow for the Maximum Solar Radiation.  Finally Polycrystalline Photovoltaic modules are then applied onto the frames of these extrusions.

After further calculations were made, this envelope proved 52.87% Self-Sufficiency producing the amount of approximately 666,186.77kWh of electricity per year for the 1,440 inhabitants of the block, with a total area of 7,370.35 sqm of PhotoVoltaic cells.

Self Sufficient Neighbourhood – Block A2  is a project of IaaC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia.
Developed at Master in Advanced Architecture, in 2017 by Antoinette El Chidiac
Tutors: Vincente Guallart, Pep Salas, Elias Kateb
Faculty of Advanced Architecture.