Nursing Home in Zamora is First in Spain to Receive Passive House Certification

A nursing home in the municipality of Camarzana de Tera (Zamora) recently opened a new Passive House building designed by the Madrid-based firm CSO arquitectura. The new wing is the first geriatric hospital building in Spain to receive Passive House certification. Globally, only 15 facilities like it have been certified. The project also helps the center as a whole become more sustainable, as it produces more energy than it consumes, thereby allowing it to power the facility’s older wings. Construction relied on a prefabricated timber frame system that only took one week to assemble.

Apart from the thermal comfort and improved air quality that comes with building to Passive House standard (two things that the residents will certainly notice and appreciate), the design also seeks to replace the cold, sterile environment of the typical hospital with a warmer and cozier space that incorporates abundant sunlight, natural materials like wood, and lots of greenery in the form of courtyards and even a greenhouse. The conjunction of Passive House methodology and biophilic design is expected to significantly increase the quality of life of the building’s denizens.

To read more about the project and to see more images, click here.