Kora Green City, an aparthotel in Vitoria-Gasteiz, was inaugurated approximately a year ago. This project is the result of the effort of the Bilbao-based architecture studio A54, which introduces a focus on sustainable construction in the region.
Founded in Bilbao – Basque Country- in 2006, A54 Arquitectos designed Kora Green City, the Passivhaus building which has the highest accommodation capacity in Europe. A54 Arquitectos, the studio behind this aparthotel, opened its doors in August 2022 and became a significant reference point for sustainable architecture in the Basque Country.
A54 Arquitectos is a studio formed by three partner architects who lead a multidisciplinary team of up to eight people, including two in-house architects and several external collaborators such as surveyors, installation calculations, structural calculations, safety and health coordination, etc. Their journey began with commissions through collaborations with other companies. Later, they won projects through public competitions, gradually building their portfolio and accumulating experience. “We then accessed private clients, continuing to serve both large-scale and smaller-scale projects for private clients with the same dedication and respect,” said partner Fernando Ortega Platel.
From there, A54 Arquitectos ventured into private clients, while still serving as they said “with the same dedication and respect both large-scale projects and others of smaller scale for private clients.” Kora Green City emerged from a competition, but they have also undertaken other projects in Vitoria-Gasteiz such as CEIP Mariturri or IES Zabalgana. They have also worked on several public housing projects for VISESA in Derio and Bilbao, and for cooperatives in Getxo and Lamiako. They have also undertaken renovation projects for unique buildings to adapt them as interpretation centers, such as the Lekeitio lighthouse or the San Marcos fort in Errenteria. “We have even carried out projects in Bogotá, Milan, or the Maldives,” adds the studio.
It should be noted that, among all these projects, Kora Green City is the first building with Passivhaus standards constructed by the studio. “Initially, the project involved a building with Class A certification, where great care was taken with design, materials, their origin, consumption, etc., to create responsible architecture from a sustainability perspective. Then there was a phase of adapting that project to a passive building, which involved making quite a few modifications. For this, we had the collaboration of the company MUI and the involvement of our client KATEGORA.”
Its most notable feature is its high level of energy efficiency. “It has managed to reduce the initial theoretical consumption of the building in primary energy by 76%, compared to a typical building according to the Technical Building Code of Spain. This has been possible due to the passive methodology regarding insulation and airtightness of the thermal envelope; and the installations implemented in the building, which has been equipped with geothermal energy for heating and cooling,
aerothermal for domestic hot water, heat recovery systems, lighting control systems, etc.,” explains the partner. Kora Green City also features photovoltaic panels for electricity self-consumption, contributing around 10,000 kWh annually. “With this reduction in primary energy consumption, CO2 emissions into the atmosphere have also been reduced by approximately 163,500 tons.”
The Passivhaus standard is increasingly spreading throughout Europe, and for the team, “it is part of the unavoidable commitment of the profession to sustainable and responsible construction.” According to them, there are other certifications in this field, “but perhaps the most prestigious, and certainly the most demanding, is that of the Passivhaus Institute. What is clear is that the benefits in the short, medium, and long term are undeniable. Perhaps it is not a trend, but a logical necessity.”
The Basque Country still does not have many buildings of this class. “Being pioneers, in a way, was a concern as well as a challenge. However, during the process, the studio was able to collaborate with different companies with proven experience in the manufacturing and installation of passive systems. In the development of the different phases, priority was given to the selection of nearby companies, with local manufacturing, which contributed to the lowest emissions in the manufacturing and transportation process of their materials.”
