Towards a more inclusive design

Architecture and urban planning with a gender perspective aim to build inclusive and egalitarian spaces, taking into consideration the diversity of the people who use public space and focusing on the tasks or needs traditionally linked to women.

“Our ultimate goal is achieving a 100% accesible infrastructures for a 100% of the users” Antonio Sancho, Building project manager

Both disciplines are envisaged as a service to society. Thus, its purpose is to achieve that the needs of the different social groups are taken into account when planning urban space, housing and environmental quality. Ineco, which integrates these objectives in the company’s CSR, has promoted the development of a team of specialists to apply the concepts of gender architecture in the projects that require it, in addition to integrating the knowledge and promote collaboration with other disciplines.

With the opening of Almería’s new intermodal station in June 2000, the city’s old historic station fell into disuse, housing only a number of railway offices. Since then, the Almería City Council has been calling for the station building to be renovated and put to use for the city. With this in mind, Adif commissioned Ineco to draft projects for the restoration of the building (façades, roofs and concourse) as a step prior to transferring ownership of the station to the City Council to determine its final use.

One of the key characteristics of the building is its consideration as a historic ‘monument’ after being listed as a Site of Cultural Interest by the Ministry of Culture, Education and Sport in 1985. This fact means that the building’s exterior appearance and construction systems have to be conserved, and all restoration proposals had to be extremely respectful in order to be approved by the Office of the Deputy Director of Historical Heritage, limiting the renovation options available.

Over the last two years, Ineco has drafted two projects for the renovation of the building, one of which has already been executed and the other in its construction phase. The first project involved executing restoration works and consolidating the ornamental elements of the roof of the station with the aim of replacing the perimeter balustrade of the lateral sections, which was significantly deteriorated, and restoring its ornamental elements, in addition to repairing the entrance canopy.

The second is the construction project, which involves restoring the façades, including metal and woodwork and the glass curtain wall of the central section, repairing the roofs (lateral and central sections), water drainage systems and the slabs of the lateral sections that support it and renovating the original platform canopy, and restoring and enhancing the concourse in the central section, including the lighting, for its future use.

The history of the station

The building dates back to 1893 and is believed to be the work of French architect L. Fargue. It was built by the French company Fives-Lille, which was highly regarded throughout Europe for its iron-framed buildings. As Adif explains in its description of the station, the aspect that particularly stands out about the building is the special way that it merges traditional architecture with new techniques and materials. The development of the railways in the second half of the nineteenth century required new spaces and functions in stations. To address this, engineering and architecture successfully worked together to combine ornamental buildings in the classical style with functional structures of the modern era. Together with engineers, architects gained prominence by designing concourses and platforms with glass and iron, creating spacious, airy and bright structures of which Almería station is a fine example. Other examples of Andalusian station buildings from this period are the historic stations of Córdoba, Cádiz, Málaga, Seville-San Bernardo, Granada, Jaén and Huelva-Zafra.

Adif requested that Ineco draft projects for the restoration of the building as a step prior to ceding the station to Almería City Council

The building was completed in 1893 and was put into use in 1895, when the Almería-Guadix section was opened. Its entry into service, along with the development of the port of Almería, helped to solve the communication difficulties of a province enjoying a full economic and demographic boom due to mining, agriculture and commerce. A number of decades later, during the Spanish Civil War, part of the premises were destroyed and, in 1940, it was closed due to a serious danger of collapse. In the 1970s, a major renovation project began, involving the construction of, among other aspects, a balustrade with slight variations with respect to the original one. In 1974, a refurbishment was carried out on the upper floor and, in 1975, a general renovation of tracks and platforms was done.

In the 1990s, thanks to the Station Modernisation and Equipment Plan, the almost 600 square metres of surface area was restored. The works were supervised by the architects José Antonio Pruneda and Antonio Morales, who managed to restore much of the station’s charm.

The building has a rectangular footprint and consists of three sections: a central one featuring the iron architecture and two symmetrical, side sections with traditional architecture. In the centre, there is a large clock by Garnier of Paris, typical of the railway stations of the nineteenth century. As a whole, the station is a highly representative example of the work of Compañía de los Caminos de Hierro del Sur de España, featuring ornamental elements such as acanthus capitals, entablatures, cornices, etc., characteristics that appear with classical shapes and proportions although made of iron, among which the large glass window in the central section stands out. The side façades are notable for their exposed brickwork and polychrome ceramics on wall lamps, signs, branches, etc.

In Ineco’s project designs, the principles adopted were aimed at acknowledging the building as a heritage monument, documentation and interpretation of its history according to the Xi’an Declaration on the Conservation of the Setting of Heritage Structures, Sites and Areas, adopted in Xi’an, China. 21 October 2005. The restoration of the different elements must be distinguished from the architectural ensemble, and must bear the stamp of our era. The current configuration of the monument building will be respected, regardless of which era its annexes, attachments or extensions belong, given that unity of style is not the purpose of the restoration.

Elements intended to replace missing parts must be integrated harmoniously into the whole, but, at the same time, differentiated from the original parts, so that the restoration does not falsify the monument, in terms of its artistic and historical aspects. The structural, functional and perceptive function of these new elements will, however, seek the original meaning of the monument and always strive not to highlight the inherently historical, following the doctrine of the Council of Europe in relation to cultural heritage, according to the principles of the European Charter of Architectural Heritage. The starting point for this is studying the planimetrics of the building, examining information obtained from historical research and carrying out analyses (petrographic and petrophysical) of the materials.

TECHNICAL CRITERIA FOR THE RESTORATION

The project focuses on the consolidation, restoration and conservation of all façade walls, including original metal and woodwork.

• Removal of foreign deposits, for which, in the case of brick, dry systems will preferably be used to avoid bringing possible salts to the surface.
• Systems that project glass microspheres at very low pressure will be used for the removal of paint from stone or rendering.
• Consolidation treatments will be applied where needed, after testing by petrophysical analysis, with application on laboratory control samples.
• Choice of replacement stone, where necessary, with similar characteristics to the existing stone in terms of appearance, colour, texture, etc., but also with appropriate petrophysical characteristics, based on the tests to be carried out or facilitated by the quarry.
• Where necessary, replacement of mortar: always salt free (no use of Portland cement), with lime binder (good quality) and selected limestone and/or siliceous aggregate. Additives in order to achieve the appropriate properties of porosity, shrinkage, mechanical strength, setting, etc.
• Missing elements will be replaced by moulding the solid negative.
• Replacement stones, as well as restoration mortar used in re-integrations of missing volumes may be subsequently enlivened with patinas of inorganic-based components.
• All replacement elements, whether stone or mortar, will be carved.
• Final pointing mortar for ashlar stones with base of hydraulic lime.
• Waterproofing of all existing or replacement ashlar stone elements.
• All renewed elements must be inspected and dated after the work.

The introduction of BIM is an essentially collaborative process

1 BIM is a revolution… Is it difficult to understand?

I prefer to talk about evolution, although it does have some truly revolutionary aspects.

2 What internal changes does it involve?

It is essentially a transformation based on a significant cultural change in which management of what has already been built plays a prominent role. Improvement in collaboration is fundamental. BIM is an essentially collaborative process.

3 What advantages would you highlight?

I would essentially highlight improvement in quality, transparency, traceability and reduction of risks and uncertainties throughout the life cycle.

4 Will having or not having BIM be a critical factor?

In the short term, it could be critical but, in the medium term, not having it will mean being excluded.

5 How is it being received by the Spanish construction sector?

It has met with a good deal of scepticism because cultural change is not easy for such a mature sector; that said though, the transformation starting to gain a certain amount of momentum.

6 What time scales are being applied for public tenders in Spain?

The time frame is short-term. Within a year, it will already be present in building processes; however, incorporation will be gradual to allow the whole sector to adapt.

Accommodation is a vital part of the experience of any tourist and it often affects the choice of the destination. Spain has 16,000 hotels, 14,000 rural tourism establishments, 150,000 holiday apartments and more than a thousand campsites, with offers that stand out due to their exquisiteness and originality. According to a recent study by the Trivago search engine, Spain, with 335 establishments, is the seventh country worldwide in terms of number of five star hotels, only surpassed by China, Turkey, Mexico, Italy, India and Greece. Luxury is a booming sector all around the world and accommodation in this category has found new ways to offer the absolute best to customers, including elements such as architecture, interior design, landscape and signature cuisine.

Michelin star hotels

Contemporary haute cuisine is one of the great features of the five star Spanish hotel sector. In fact, a significant number of restaurants distinguished with five Michelin stars are found in hotels: in Madrid, Ramón Freixa, in Hotel Único; DiverXo of David Muñoz, in the NH Collection Hotel; Santceloni of Óscar Velasco, in Hesperia; or Kabuki of Ricardo Sanz, in Hotel Wellington. In Barcelona, Abac hotel-restaurant of Jordi Cruz; the creative restaurant of Sergi Arola, in Hotel Arts; or that led by the team of the Chef Martín Berasategui (who has seven Michelin stars), in the new and exclusive Monument Hotel.

Spain has 16,000 hotels, 14,000 rural tourism establishments, 150,000 holiday apartments and more than a thousand campsites

This successful symbiosis between signature cuisine and the hotel sector also occurs in the Hard Rock Hotel in Ibiza: for around 1,500 euros per person a maximum of 12 diners can enjoy ‘Sublimotion’, an interactive and multisensorial gastronomic show designed by Chef Paco Roncero. In Sardón de Duero in Castilla­ León, there is the Abadía-La Retuerta gourmet hotel, under the leadership of Chef Andoni Adúriz, with its triple dining options.

Architecture and landscape

Another concept of luxury is that of the space and the environment: some establishments choose to offer the visitor their unique architecture as another element of the landscape, whether it is natural or urban. Examples of these include Marqués de Riscal hotel, designed by the architect Frank Gehry (architect of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao), surrounded by vineyards, or Hotel W in Barcelona, an ultramodern skyscraper in the form of a sail. Hotel Viura in Villabuena de Álava combines a modern building with historic surroundings. In other cases, it is the building itself that has a monumental value, such as Villapanés Palace in Seville; the former fortress that is home to Cap Rocat hotel in Mallorca; or the 96 Paradores Nacionales, 45 of which are located in castles, monasteries, palaces or historic sites.
At the other end of the spectrum there is the Spanish chain Room Mate, which has avant-garde interior design, new technologies –it provides free Wi-Fi and iPad hire, amongst other services– and, above all, central locations in each city. Aimed at a young urbanite public, it is present in Madrid, Barcelona, Oviedo, Granada, Málaga and Salamanca, as well as in Miami, New York, Mexico City, Florence, Amsterdam and Istanbul.
Ecology and luxury go hand-in-hand in the Vivood Landscape Hotel (Alicante), a ‘landscape hotel’ that combines its sustainable architecture integrated into the environment with exclusive services and activities in the natural setting. In Les Colls Pavilions (Girona), the guest sleeps in a glass cubicle without furniture in the middle of the forest; but those who prefer a desert landscape can opt for just as unusual accommodation such as Aire de Bardenas (Navarra), or Hotel Cueva, with its underground bedrooms, in the middle of the Monegros Desert (Aragon). Lastly, Hotel Consolación (Teruel), offers its avant-garde ‘kubes’ located next to the 14th century shrine that gives it its name, in a wooded oasis of pine, almond and olive trees.

The luxury of wellbeing

Although beauty, health and relaxation treatments are services that are traditionally available in hotels, the current trend is moving towards making them the number one feature of the establishment and the customer’s experience .This is the case for Sha Wellness in the Alicante town of Altea, or Jumeirah Port Soller in Mallorca, owned by the group that manages the famous Burj Al Arab in Dubai, which is, to date, the only seven star hotel in the world.

Glamping

Even the camping sector has an offer that goes beyond convetional, which ranges from establishments with services and facilities that are more typical of a luxury resort, such as Marjal Costa Blanca in Alicante –awarded as the best in Spain– to others that are part of the glamping trend, a portmanteau of glamour and camping: enjoy nature without abandoning comfort. There are many options: treehouses –Cabañas en los árboles, in Zeanuri; Basoa suites, in Navarra– Bedouin tents or Mongolian yurts –Casa de Laila or Cloud House, in Malaga; Refugio Mames, in Alicante or Lanzarote Retreats, in the Canaries–, bubbles for seeing the stars –Mil Estrelles, in Girona–, safari cabins, former railway carriages or gypsy wagons –Casa del Mundo, in Alicante; Vagón Rural, in Murcia– and even caves or huts with contemporary decoration and equipment: Braña La Code, in Asturias; or Casas Karen, in Cádiz.