Spain’s Solar Chamber Apartment Complex Takes a Cue from Le Corbusier

Architect<a href="http://www.ruizlarrea.com/index_en.html"> Ruez Larrea</a> appears to take a page from Le Corbusier’s famous<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit%C3%A9_d'Habitation"> Unité d'Habitation</a> with his Solar Chamber. But unlike the precedent with its stoic and monolithic construction, Larrea gives the building an update with a dramatic swoop to follow the sun, and endless screens to block harsh glares when temperatures rise. The newly completed housing unit in Spain is so well patterned for the environment that it can naturally heat and cool most days of the year passively. The resulting reduction in carbon output is estimated to be upwards of 87%, and the achievement is the result of tried and true materials and design techniques focused on limiting costs for the low-income families that will occupy the units. A sophisticated earthen cooling tunnel, natural breezes and a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/green-roof/">green roof </a>all work together to create a comfortable living environment.

The design’s seems to hit all the essential qualities we like to see in sustainable building design.

The shallow floor plate allows every unit to have access to the southern sun and northern cooling breezes.

A double wall system is well<a href="http://inhabitat.com/spanish-highrise-keeps-its-cool-under-a-double-skin/"> screened </a>to protect from the hot Spanish sun in summer.

when the screens open up they<a href="http://inhabitat.com/refocus-teaches-an-old-house-new-tricks-at-the-solar-decathlon/"> create a canopy</a>.

Most resulting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_radiation">radiant heat</a> is blocked in the small walkout which can be opened or closed to the weather.

In winter the glassed in porches capture the heat and circulate it through the apartment via ductwork in the ceiling.

The entire building is ventilated by a central <a href="http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12460">preconditioning air tunnel</a> that is feed by towers on the north side landscape.

In the summer the cooler air feeds the supply ducts, providing tempered fresh air directly into the apartments so they do not have to open their windows.

In winter the tubes collect air which is warmed by the earth and run through a heating coil. The coil is supplied hot water by either the condensing boiler or the solar thermal system which also supplies hot water.

Air heated by the daytime sun in the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/kfw-headquarters-aims-to-be-the-most-energy-efficient-office-tower-in-europe/kfw-bankengruppe-8/?extend=1">double wall</a> is circulated through the entire interior as well.

The tucked under parking helps keep the ground open for plants and people.

The large openings in the building provides the project's design marquee as well as social areas.

The opening also breaks the tendency of the building looking like a monolithic wall.