This urban transformation embodies one of the main characteristics of Batlleiroig, the transversality facilitated by the teamwork of the planning, landscape, and building departments. The result is the successful completion of a comprehensive assignment carried out by Conrentramway, which included the drafting of the UMSP (Urban Mobility Plan), an urbanization project, and two office buildings.

The project is part of the same urban planning, carried out by batlleiroig in 2019, alongside the Badajoz 97 offices: the Urban Improvement Plan for the Pere IV – Badajoz block. Here, the recognition of historical plots, pre-existing buildings, and the passages of the block results in an arrangement with a new central public space that adapts to a rapidly transforming environment. In these successive interventions, the traces of Passatge de Camp, already existing in the block, have been recognized and enhanced, reinforcing it and expanding it with a new system of urbanized and vegetated passages that manage to loosen the old industrial fabric

The A160 offices occupy the corner of the block between Almogàvers and Ávila streets, the area with the maximum building height (ground floor + 5 upper floors). As we move away from the corner, always following Almogàvers Street, the building gradually decreases, and through a stepped section with special respect for the surrounding pre-existing structures, it manages to adapt to the nearest built environment. At this point, a private inner courtyard is created where vegetation becomes the protagonist of the space.

The entrance to the building is located at the corner, where the volume is emptied at the ground and first floors, allowing the entry of public space at the corner point and creating a climate refuge in the form of a large double-height porch that frames the entrance to the building while guiding the way to the interior block passages system.

The large lobby brings the spatiality and materiality of the external porch into the interior, creating significant permeability between the building and public space and expanding it at the same time. Reinforcing this transparency on the ground floor, the parking access ramp visually connects with the lobby through a glass partition, creating a welcoming and green vehicle access space that enhances sustainable micro-mobility and welcomes users from a single central access control point.

The exterior image of the building directly reflects its structure, which is translated to the main plane of the facade through systematically arranged prefabricated concrete pillars that seek to connect with the industrial past of this sector of the city.

The load-bearing envelope and the central core of communications, which concentrates circulation, services, and facilities, combined with 35 cm deep post-tensioned slabs, allow for the creation of large, open, perimeter workspaces always in contact with natural light, featuring 14-meter span portals and areas of 1,000 m2 of column-free offices.

The modular compositional system of the facade alternates individual modules with larger openings that provide scale to the building and enrich the composition. These consist of a double glass facade creating an air chamber acting as a thermal cushion, improving the climatic conditions within the offices.

A biophilic and stepped facade

The interior of the offices continues with the necessary progression to create flexible and non-hierarchical spaces, with areas all benefiting from natural light and ventilation.

A commitment is made to a fully exposed installation system, a design that contrasts with traditional offices, where a modular false ceiling covered any device or duct completely. This new way of projecting and conceiving the interior of offices involves significant coordination and review of the different systems that make up the building’s installations, as well as a subsequent rethinking of these.

In return, much richer interior spaces are obtained, with higher clear heights, the possibility of including larger windows, and thus better natural lighting and greater personalization by the user. This provides the user with an orderly overhead view of the facilities, allowing them the option of leaving them exposed or hiding them in their subsequent implementation, maximizing productivity, efficiency, and comfort.

This innovation, in line with the project’s concept, also occurs in the central communication cores, which feature industrial-looking elevator lobbies with exposed ducts, suspended lighting, and vertical lacquered, folded, and tongue-and-groove aluminum slat cladding.

A distinctive feature at Almogàvers 160 is the arrangement of offices below ground level. These spaces, far from becoming dark and isolated, are in close contact with the exterior green courtyard and enjoy high-quality lighting and connection with vegetation.

This is possible thanks to an intermediate space that acts as a transition between the interior and exterior: a triple-height atrium that, through a very slim and simple metal structure, creates a meeting space with natural lighting and ventilation. This space serves as a versatile social area, suitable for work, conferences, events, or other activities.

The focal point in this space is a large green wall of 60 m2. Thanks to the atrium, the offices located in basement level 1 have spatial quality, lighting, and ventilation similar to those on an above-ground floor, making them equally attractive and providing an additional productive space.

The building’s parking features a specially designed space to promote active mobility, combining vertical bike racks and lockers for electric scooters alongside a set of changing rooms available to the building’s users. This way, the building aligns itself with a city model that advocates for sustainable mobility and the health of its residents.