Multi-family building in Córdoba

Address

Plaza de la Corredera
Córdoba, Spain

General information

Building manager

Public Agency for Housing and Refurbishment (Agencia de Vivienda y Rehabilitación de Andalucia AVRA) is in charge of carrying out land, housing and retrofitting and urban regeneration programs and policies in Andalucía with a social function, specially addressed to the most vulnerable population. Under AVRA’S management, social housing stock contains more than 70.000 dwellings (around 70% for rent and 30% for sale): 525 municipalities, 8 Andalusian provinces, and more than 350.000 people living.

Building age

17th century

Protection level

Listed (Main façade). Environmental protection covers the entire building, and typology protection (patios and galleries) is secured in the new construction behind the main block of the building.

Building use

Residential – public social housing for renting.

Building area

900 sqm built surface on a 475 sqm urban plot (560 sqm effective surface).

Construction type

Load-bearing masonry of solid brick and wooden roofing

Building typology

A south-facing multi-family building with nine dwellings distributed over four floors, the construction system is based on load-bearing masonry or solid brick walls with wooden slab roofing. The roof is made with a wooden frame and covered with Arabic tiles in older areas, while in more contemporary areas, it is flat.

Geographical area and context

Córdoba has the most severe climatic conditions in summer, but there is also a significant need for heating to achieve comfort in winter. Retrofit solutions should balance these needs, as high insulation with little thermal mass may be counterproductive and cause overheating. Residents’ social and economic conditions must be considered when renovating social housing. Solutions will require technologies that guarantee durability, low running costs, and low and easy maintenance. Good planning of the interventions is also important as buildings are occupied.

Ongoing activities

to be confirmed

Works planned under the FuturHist project

Installing passive solutions and active systems will demonstrate the feasibility and potential of energy-efficient interventions in HB, even in particularly demanding cases. The solutions tested will improve occupants’ comfort (both in summer and winter) while minimising the risk of energy poverty and total primary energy use. The historic façade will be insulated internally with carbon and biochar solutions that improve the wall’s thermal performance while contributing to a healthier indoor environment. The balcony doors will be maintained (to reduce the amount of waste generated) and restored (to improve heat losses in winter and reduce solar gains in summer). Efficient solutions for heating, cooling, and DHW that are compatible with the architectural and social constraints of the building will be installed.

Among the expected, long-lasting effects are improving decision-making and building design processes, minimalising energy poverty, improving indoor comfort conditions and energy building performance, preventing the social and economic gap between the residents of historic social housing and the other ones, preventing the risk of abandonment of historical buildings and, for instance, the historic city centres, growing building capacity and know-how.