Using technology wisely
“The proper use of science is not to conquer nature but to live in.”
Barry Commoner.
It is a connected house; every detail has been valued under the eye of innovation. We have used the latest energy systems. We can remotely control the installations...
It is a connected house; every detail has been valued under the eye of innovation. We have used the latest energy systems. We can remotely control the installations...
Thinking about the future needs of the inhabitants of Císcar 4 implies thinking about technology that is still being born as something that, in a few years’ time, will be commonplace. But this is not always the case; technological improvements are not always maintained over time. Reflecting on each innovation and its impact on people’s daily lives has been one of the most difficult and stimulating things about this project.
Knowing from anywhere in the world who is knocking at the door and being able to answer it easily or control the lighting, air conditioning and blinds in the home, is possible from a mobile device, from anywhere in the house or in the world.
With 21st century technology and the skill of the most expert hands, we have made comfortable homes that will last at least a hundred years longer. Protected by its antiquity and architectural beauty, the building at Císcar 4, has undergone a total reconstruction: FROM ITS FOUNDATIONS TO ITS ROOF.
As if it were a puzzle, the stone pieces of the lobby floor, of the staircase, the marble pieces of the bathrooms, the ceramic pieces of the balconies and all the cladding, have been designed and cut - to measure - piece by piece, so that they fit harmoniously and convey the balance of beautiful things, made with great affection.
Acceso principal Acceso servicio C/Ciscar 4
The foundations are new throughout the building: the entire first floor has been excavated to 1.50 m (4.92ft); larger footings have been built at the base of the pillars: an entire slab with reinforced concrete, creating a solid, compact and stable block; the original pillars, which have not been replaced by new ones, have been reinforced with iron; the perimeter loadbearing walls have been insulated from the ground to prevent damp.
The result is a compact, solid and isolated structure.
With good principles.
The welcome of the hallway
One of the main objectives has been comfort and we have been looking for it from the moment the first door opens. The entrance to the building is spacious and provides a warm welcome.
“Architecture is inhabited sculpture.”
Constantin Brâncusi
With the exception of the stairwell and themain façade, all floors, the rear façade and the light courtyards have been demolished and rebuilt.
The main façade was completely renovated - maintaining its original design - and protected with special insulating paint. The rear façade and light courtyards are new construction, equipped with 50mm (2 in) insulating cladding (SATE - external thermal insulation-), which envelops the entire building protecting it from the inclement weather outside.
A new structure.
The height between floors is well over 3 meters (10ft), with a slightly lower clear height. The interior doors, inside each property, cover the entire available height (290 cm – 9.5ft) from floor to ceiling.
Centenary and new.
A work of craftsmanship
Before choosing the exterior carpentry, the factory of the German company Schüco in Bielefeld was visited to choose the model and technology best suited to the city of Valencia.
Wood and aluminum carpentry
The main access doors to each property are the original 1920’s doors that have been restored and reinforced. Not only are they armored security doors, they are also equipped with automatic locks, which -when closing the door- operate three pins, without the need to turn the key.
Access to the home is achieved through different systems: keys with limited or full access to each room, numeric keypad, fingerprint and remote control by mobile phone. Each home has an intuitive and easy-to-use system to control the environment: lights, blinds, music and surveillance cameras.
Indeed, very easy to use!
Each door and window of the building has a perimeter iron frame - 8 cm by 8 cm - welded to the upper and lower slabs, so that the structure on which the doors and windows are fixedaluminum or wood - is so solid and resistant that it is impossible for cracks to appear as a result of unintentional slamming.
The doors and windows of the main façade have an aluminum structure, with two 6 mm (0.24 in) thick panes on the outside, glued with a resin that protects them against accidental breakage; then, a 12 mm (0.47 in) chamber with argon gas - to prevent temperature exchange with the out- side - and a 4 mm (0.16 in) glass separator; then, another 12 mm (0.47 in) argon gas chamber and, inside the house, two 4 mm (0.16 in) thick panes, glued with a resin that protects them against accidental breakage. In total, almost 5 cm (2 in) of separation between the exterior and the interior of the house.
All closets are illuminated inside. The master bedroom has 20 closet doors.
The bedroom windows have electric blinds that are easily operated to allow for different light gradations.
Thanks to this technology, all doors and windows can be opened and closed with one hand, even with one finger.
The joinery meets the highest standards of strength, safety and insulation, while maintaining an aesthetic and elegant design.
All this insulation in façades and windows and the other installations that will be discussed later, have resulted in obtaining the highest energy rating. Not surprisingly, it is the highest in the city of Valencia.
Maximum efficiency and energy savings
Underfloor heating: The wooden floor is specially designed for the proper functioning of underfloor heating.
It has a natural wood section that allows it to be slashed for many years..
Utmost respect for the environment
Hot/cold air conditioning with invisible air outlet and return air grilles installed in each room.
The heating and air conditioning equipment has been removed from the interior of the homes -to avoid the inconvenience of visits by maintenance technicians- and placed on the mezzanine floor of the building.
Access is controlled by security cameras and individual codes via keypads or fingerprint.
No noise
Quality is that the downpipes are not heard, that the thermal and acoustic insulation of each space is the necessary, that the houses are designed to enjoy the greatest comfort at the lowest energy cost.
Each floor is insulated - above and below - by incorporating different layers of noise and vibration insulating materials.
The water pipes have been insulated to the point of completely eliminating any noise: the flushing of a toilet or a neighbor’s shower on any upper or lower floor has been soundproofed by means of an insulation system consisting of the manual application of multiple layers of insulating material - of different densities - in all the water pipes.
For example, the use of a home cinema system with speakers running at full power is imperceptible to neighbors. Similarly, normal noises caused by dragging furniture, shoe heels, slamming doors, etc., are completely eliminated by the insulation between floors .
A flexible layout
The spectacular kitchen can be easily isolated from the living room by means of glass that changes from transparent to opaque at the push of a button.
There are six rooms - the three bedrooms, the living room, the kitchen and the study or office next to the foyer - all equipped with independent underfloor heating systems, air conditioning, SONOS home sound system, Internet and fiber optic outlets, with HDMI and RJ45 connections.
All rooms have the connections to place, if desired, a television with its articulated metal arm. If a TV is not desired in the bedroom, the space provided for it can be converted into an additional closet.
equippment
Special
The floors in the bedrooms and living room are made of natural wood specially designed to be efficient for underfloor heating. Every detail comes from a choice that we consider to be the best possible choice.
A communications rack concentrates all the necessary connections and equipment for the audiovisual terminals in the six rooms, so there is no equipment, appliances, or wiring in the rooms. The communications room has an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and is cooled by an air conditioning unit.
The living room is equipped with the installation of the sound boxes for the speakers and the subwoofer, in case you wish to enjoy a home theater installation.
The house has an air regeneration unit with heat recovery that keeps the air in each room cleaner and more balanced than the outside air. In addition, waste heat is recovered before being expelled to the outside. It operates permanently and is totally silent.
The installed appliances are an oversized refrigerator and freezer, a versatile induction cooktop for any container surface, a steam oven, a microwave oven, a vacuum packer, two wine refrigerators at different temperatures, a dishwasher, a washing machine and a dryer.
There is also a high-resolution TV in the kitchen and a TV hidden behind the bathroom mirror in the master bedroom.
The water network allows three people in the same household to use hot water at the same time, without changes in temperature or pressure.
35% of the budget for this development has been used for the facilities and we can say that what you can’t see is as good as what can see.
A household waste compactor will be installed in the laundry room with five separate containers: paper/cardboard, glass, plastic, aluminum and organic waste. The volume reduction capacity is between 80% and 90%, depending on the product.
It occupies the same space and works in a similar way to a dishwasher: it has a motor that breaks the materials into smaller pieces, washes them, dries them, flushes the water down the drain and the remains are deposited in its compartment after each use, indicating the filling level of each one. Food waste does not smell after treatment, as it is reduced to organic fiber, without moisture, which does not rot.
Control of the plumbing system stopcocks/shut-off valves is centralized in a room with limited access for children.
This room, as well as the other rooms where there is a possible risk of accidents due to water leaks, is equipped with drains and flood sensors that cut off the water supply, both in the dwelling and in the meter room on the first floor. The drains for possible flooding due to water leaks are automatically refilled every week with water from a programmed supply. This prevents odors in the building by not allowing the drain traps to dry out.
21st century materials and design
All countertops and shower trays in bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens are made with Krion K-life, a system patented by Porcelanosa, with unique properties: air regeneration, elimination of toxic waste, selfcleaning and antibacterial against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, all scientifically tested and certified by Porcelanosa.
Flush Krion K-life skirting boards: there is no step in the skirting board that can get dirty. The electrical switches are also flush, or recessed in the wall. In both cases, a double Knauff Diamant Pladur board of 15 mm (0.6 in) each has been used, which gives the walls greater insulation and strength, and can support pictures, televisions, shelves, light fixtures, etc.
The building has independent access from the garage with security locks and CCTV control and each apartment has a storage room, also with access control. The courtyards, the two facades and the roof of the building have cameras and volumetric sensors to detect people.
Special attention has been given to:
Extreme respect for our ancestors and the original beauty of this building.
A reinforced structure. Completely new equipment, cables, drains, etc.
A clean and versatile design for each owner to incorporate his or her own taste.
Maximum comfort and safety for residents.
Maximum energy efficiency.
Performance guarantee and ten-year insurance.
Passion for doing things well, for the simple reason of doing things well.
Original project.
Architect: Carlos Carbonell Pañella.
Year construction began: 1914.
End of construction: 1920.
Style: Modernist.
Complete reconstruction.
Architect: ERRE
Arquitectura.
Construction start year: 2019.
End of works: 2022.
Building company: AT4 Grupo.
Císcar 4 was built more than 100 years ago in the context of a flourishing and brilliant Valencia. It has been a privilege to take up the legacy and a responsibility to restore this space for future generations.
Just as Mr. Carlos Carbonell was an outstanding professional in his time, the architects of ERRE Arquitectura and the more than 50 technicians of AT4 Grupo who have been involved in the integral reconstruction of this building are outstanding professionals of this era; and it has been a privilege and an honour to work with them, taking advantage of their experience, their professionalism, but, most important, their great human quality, rich in values.
In the words of the most admired physicist and mathematician: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”
This is our tribute and our heartfelt thanks to all of them.
This project, developed from innovation, involved working together with those who had more experience, because only by knowing how to do something very well can you work intuitively. There is no tension, there is only imagination and fluidity of ideas.
Another quality of the team of professionals has been to work with extra passion.
Passion is the engine of craftsmanship, and craftsmanship is the essence of perfection.
Working with such a team means that a relationship of trust is established from the outset and this provides the guarantee that the job will be done well, the peace of mind that comes from knowing that each solution is the best solution.
“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championship.”
Michael Jordan.
The result: An architectural jewel recovered and converted into a refuge of heritage value
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G. V. Marqués del Turia, 62 . 46005 Valencia. (+34) 963 504 444.
Avenida de Lepanto, 1. 03730 Jávea – Alicante. (+34) 965 791 035
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