Cooling Off Is A Breeze In Ibiza With Green Wall A/C

Terracotta Eco.bin wall keeps guests cool at Hotel Ushuaia in Spain's island of Ibiza. Image via Urbanarbolismo.

On the Spanish island of Ibiza, a hotel uses an ingenious method to keep its guests cool using a living vertical garden and the magical properties of evaporation. Read more →

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Off Grid Spanish Home A Timeless Design

Finca-en-Extremadura

An off-grid dream home in Spain makes use of timeless materials, resources, and setting. Read more →

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Breathable Façade Concept Pivots On Sunlight

Diagram of the internal workings of the the Active Gallery facade, based on the changing states of contained liquids. Image via Adria Escolano.

This bizarre design for a shifting, “breathable” building façade provides automated ventilation via basic principles of physics, powered entirely by the sun. Read more →

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Spanish Tech Park Sheds Light On Research

The new Pitagoras and Tecnova science buildings in Alameria, Spain, were recently completed with sustainability in mind. Image by David Frutos via Ferrer Arquitectos.

A new sustainable science park in Alameria, Spain, dedicated to research and technology, uses high-tech facades to manager solar gain and provide ventilation. Read more →

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The Green In Spain Grows Mainly On The Walls

Simulated view of what biophilic concrete panels would look like on the existing Aeronautics Cultural Centre in Barcelona, Spain. Image via Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.

Barcelona researchers are developing concrete panels that encourage the growth of lichens, moss and fungi to absorb CO2, provide insulation and reduce the carbon footprint of urban structures. Read more →

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Earth, Wind & Ice: Hotels At One With Their Environments

Image of "Beam Me Up" custom suite via IceHotel.

These three boutique hotels offer some extreme examples of how building materials and innovative site plans can make them uniquely suited for their unusual environments. Read more →

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MAIO’s Beautiful Laundrette: A Coworking Space For Artists

Open courtyard in Barcelona's MAIO Studio allows natural light to flood the artist's spaces. Image by José Hevia via MAIO.

A former Barcelona laundromat has been revitalized by an open-air courtyard and natural daylight to become one of the more creative shared working spaces in Spain. Read more →

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Passive Prefab Design Revitalizes Old Barcelona Home

Image via Calderon-Folch-Sarsanedas Arquitectes

Prefab construction and passive design have transformed a 1918 Barcelona row house into an efficient, modern home while reducing energy demand by 90 percent. Read more →

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Building A Better Block With New (And Old) Materials

Image via Dratz&Dratz Architekten

A number of researchers are experimenting with adding recycled straw, paper and wood to create bricks and modular blocks with superior thermal performance characteristics. Read more →

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Green Spaces Resurrect Habitable Bridge Concept

Image via eVolo

The ancient idea of the habitable bridge is being given new life in Spain, with a proposed design for an urban park, open-air market and a cultural center, all in one. Read more →

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