Global Alliance for Building and Construction visits Passive Houses at COP25 in Madrid

This December 9, Energiehaus coordinated with IPHA to organize a visit to 3 buildings that stand out for their energy efficiency and sustainability solutions in the Community of Madrid. The visit was made at the request of a delegation from the GABC (Global Alliance for Building and Construction) that wanted to learn about local green building initiatives during their stay at COP25.

The first building visited was “Las Carolinas” cooperative promotion, highlighting a participatory design of 17 promoters. The building has been designed according to the criteria of the Passive House standard, and is also passing through the Spanish environmental certification system, “Ecometer”, which focuses on reducing the CO2 footprint in all life phases. The financing of this building is made by Ethical Banking, a consortium between Triodos Bank and Fiare.

The second building visited was the Muprespa-Habana Fraternity Hospital, which is the first building in Spain to obtain the LEED-Platinum certificate. This building stands out for a holistic commitment of the developer in terms of environmental, social and economic sustainability. It combines high energy efficiency, with low chemical emissions materials, and an educational program to sensitize users to the importance of appropriate habits for saving energy.

The third building we visited is a block of 8 homes in the north of Madrid, currently undergoing Passive House certification. It is a building that combines a conventional concrete structure with a light-framed wooden thermal envelope, reaching a very high thermal insulation with a reduced construction section, to optimize economic efficiency by maximizing useful square meters of housing.

The visit confirmed for the GABC delegation its initial impression of Madrid: that it is not a city just for having fun, but also has developers and construction experts who actively contribute to improving the environmental quality of our cities.