Chapter 3 - Demonstrations
The PLURAL demonstration site in Terrassa, a municipality in Barcelona, Spain, represents a crucial testing ground for implementing the project’s innovative prefabricated, near-zero-energy (nZEB) renovation solutions. This specific demonstration site is strategically selected for its climate and building typology, embodying the PLURAL project’s commitment to addressing diverse European building environments through tailored, energy-efficient renovation techniques.
The Terrassa demonstration site consists of two residential blocks and a commercial space, with the PLURAL interventions targeted at one of the residential blocks comprising 18 dwellings. The building, constructed in 2008, is a typical Spanish multi-family housing complex, positioned in a “U” form around a shared courtyard. This layout is representative of Spanish housing typologies and demonstrates the need for deep renovation approaches that meet modern energy efficiency standards.
Additionally, the building’s location in the Mediterranean climate zone allows for the assessment of the PLURAL kit’s performance in environments with moderate heating and cooling requirements, an essential consideration for replicating these solutions throughout southern Europe.
The demonstration includes upgrading the building envelope with PLURAL’s prefabricated facade system, which incorporates elements such as photovoltaic panels, enhanced insulation, and smart control systems. These innovations are designed to reduce the building’s dependence on external energy sources, optimize heating and cooling, and maintain a comfortable indoor environment. In this case, the Spanish site’s results not only showcase PLURAL’s technological capabilities but also generate insights into the regulatory, social, and operational challenges associated with retrofitting multi-family residential structures. This demonstration in Terrassa serves as a real-world application of PLURAL’s commitment to sustainable and efficient building renovation.
