EcoPlaza

The competition for a new underground car park and plaza for the town hall of Garrucha in Almeria, Spain, gave us the opportunity to experiment with the positive effect of tree layers in public space: How can we counteract the polluting effect of cars and create a new, humane, and high-quality urban space?

We consider the project as a practical investigation of how and which trees would help balance the «heat island» effect and absorb the urban CO2 produced by the usage of the car park. To this end, the project develops a green square arranged in a spatial grid, that enables the organization of its main components. The first elements developed for the green square were plant pots or water infiltration dunes, prepared to capture and absorb rain, thus reducing the water requirements of the project. Secondly, we created prefabricated mobile pots prepared to be moved according to the space’s usage requirements. And finally, we placed the rest of the urban elements: solar-powered lighting, selective waste bins, circular fountains, and expansion joints for the filtering pavement.

Even though the spatial grid creates a homogeneous distribution of the elements, the Ecoplaza adapts differently to the social needs of the programme that surrounds it. On the one hand, the moveable plant pots allow to create empty spaces for the diverse events hosted by La Garrucha: festivals, processions, New Year’s Eve, carnivals, weddings, theatre, etc… On the other hand, the green filter of the trees serves as protection for the constant transit of pedestrians, going from the City Hall to the Plenary Hall or to the offices in opposite buildings, or from the Hermitage to the beach, always through the shade of the trees. And finally, the green grid offers the adjoining institutional buildings the environmental effect of the Andalusian courtyard, whose function is essential in hot climates. The patio in Mediterranean architecture uses the thermal inertia of the water present in the plants to absorb heat, reducing extreme temperature changes and improving air quality. Therefore, the Ecoplaza, in addition to balancing the action of the car park, offers a new range of appropriations for garrucheros and visitors.


Name:

Eco2plaza


Typology:

Public square


Location:

La Garrucha, Almería


Year:

2009


Developer:

10.000 m2


Promotor:

La Garrucha Town Council


Team:

Esther Gonzalez Aurignac,  Tom Mossel, Patricia Mateo, Roberto Villalvilla


Competition:

3er Place


Builder:

N/C