Castellana 77: A symbol of urban and architectural regeneration
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY
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How BIM and the AEC Collection created efficiency and agility with 30% fewer repetitive tasks
Located in the heart of Madrid, Castellana 77's complex design revealed the need for a new working model: using BIM. To ensure maximum efficiency in this redevelopment undertaking, global design firm, luis vidal + arquitectos, turned to the AEC Collection. The integrated workflows in the AEC Collection led to greater productivity and coordination in all project phases, ultimately resulting in a reduction of repetitive tasks by 30% and communication time by 50%.
The challenge: transformation and sustainability
Global architecture firm, luis vidal + arquitectos, was asked to transform the emblematic Castellana 77 office building of the GMP Group, a leading real estate firm in Spain. Located in the financial heart of Madrid, the building needed to be redesigned to achieve goals of sustainability, flexibility, and harmony with the environment.
Image courtesy of luis vidal + arquitectos.
"The work involved great difficulties as we started from the physical constraint of the existing building," says Jugatx López Amurrio, director of the Castellana 77 Project. "Integrating both realities was a great challenge."
To overcome this architectural challenge, the right solutions were vital.
The project team used Autodesk's Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC) Collection to explore the existing building space virtually and make quick changes, ensuring quality design and coordination. The Castellana 77 project was the first time luis vidal + arquitectos implemented BIM in the redesign of an existing building.
"The connection between Autodesk technology and the architectural design was able to transform Castellana 77 into a building whose environmental impact was minimal and where all the sustainability goals set were reached. The software was vital in coordinating the disciplines involved."
—Jugatx López Amurrio, Project Manager, luis vidal + arquitectos
The challenge: transformation and sustainability
Global architecture firm, luis vidal + arquitectos, was asked to transform the emblematic Castellana 77 office building of the GMP Group, a leading real estate firm in Spain. Located in the financial heart of Madrid, the building needed to be redesigned to achieve goals of sustainability, flexibility, and harmony with the environment.
Image courtesy of luis vidal + arquitectos.
The challenge: transformation and sustainability
Global architecture firm, luis vidal + arquitectos, was asked to transform the emblematic Castellana 77 office building of the GMP Group, a leading real estate firm in Spain. Located in the financial heart of Madrid, the building needed to be redesigned to achieve goals of sustainability, flexibility, and harmony with the environment.
Image courtesy of luis vidal + arquitectos.
The Autodesk AEC Collection was used in this project, including Revit, AutoCAD, Navisworks, and 3ds Max, and allowed for greater productivity and better coordination in the BIM environment. Thanks to Revit and Navisworks, the information could be shared in real-time with the consultants and client. That simplified coordination for luis vidal + arquitectos in all project phases.
One of the challenges of the project was the need to virtually explore an already existing space to quickly apply design solutions. Revit made this both possible and efficient. "One software helped us to virtually rebuild an existing building and stay flexible at every stage of the project, facilitating communication and coordination," says Moreno. "This helped us maximize the efficiency and productivity of the team. We were not looking for a 3D survey software; we needed to interpret the information to translate it into the modeling of the construction process."
As for Navisworks, it served to simulate the construction process, thus anticipating possible contingencies and making efficient decisions. "We model how we build," explains Moreno.
Energy efficiency and comfort
luis vidal + arquitectos modernized the building's services. When transforming its 17 floors, the firm proposed a more flexible ground floor and a simpler layout to accommodate offices and retail spaces in a total area of 226,042 square feet.
As an eco-friendly concept, luis vidal + arquitectos designed a laminated shell on the facades, which serves as protection against direct sunlight. They came up with the unique solution after conducting a rigorous study of sun and shade effects using Autodesk Insight. This study, administered during the conceptual design phase, indicated the optimal position of fins that shape the protective skin of the building. Insight allowed them to perform an energy and radiation analysis from a parametric system in response to the dual nature of solar energy.
Each fin of this shell was custom developed. The team chose smart materials such as ethylene tetrafluoroethylene and low-emission glass with sun control for the facade. "In this case, Revit was very useful to obtain the dimensions, orientation, and detail of each fin and to know its unique position in relation to the facades," explains Moreno.
Castellana 77 is an energy-efficient, sustainable, distinctive, and unique building. The design reduces water used by 39% and energy use by 33%. Plus, users enjoy natural light, which offers greater comfort and wellness.
“The technology and interoperability of the Autodesk software has improved the dynamics of the project workflow, ensuring improved design, multidisciplinary coordination, resource and time savings, with the ease of communication with our customers and consultants.”
—Sara Moreno, BIM Manager, luis vidal + arquitectos
Urban regeneration, a legacy for the future
Using BIM allowed luis vidal + arquitectos to deliver their project on time. Given the complexity of Castellana 77, BIM was key in facilitating careful planning and maximum agility. The real-time sharing of accurate information made possible by BIM led to quick and effective decision-making and clear communication with the client.
Image courtesy of luis vidal + arquitectos.
"Castellana 77 served as a model in the implementation of the BIM methodology at luis vidal + arquitectos and currently serves as an example to measure how the latest tools available provide us with greater agility, control, and efficiency," says Moreno. "Currently, 90% of luis vidal + arquitectos' clients demand BIM in their architectural projects."
Castellana 77 is now a symbol of urban and architectural regeneration in Madrid—bringing sustainability to the city's skyline.
"Our objective with Castellana 77 was to create a new, recognizable, flexible and sustainable property that would generate a quality space and whose new image would be integrated by its own merit into the Madrid skyline," says Luis Vidal, founding partner of the firm. The commitment of the studio to improve the quality of life of people with flexible, beautiful, and sustainable designs makes its projects high-value legacies for future generations.
“Castellana 77 served as a model in the implementation of the BIM methodology at luis vidal + arquitectos and currently serves as an example to measure how the latest tools available provide us with greater agility, control and efficiency.
—Sara Moreno, BIM Manager, luis vidal + arquitectos