The Sorigué office in Tarragona, opened in November 2016, was chosen as one of five finalists for the Premio 3 Diamantes organized and sponsored by Misubishi Electric. The award recognizes the best buildings at national level in the area of energy efficiency, design and innovation, particularly with regard to air-conditioning systems.

The fifth presentation ceremony for these awards took place in Madrid in June. The proposal seeks to recognize the work of professionals in the sector for their contributions to project design, writing and specifications.

First prize went to the building Paseo de la Castella 76, in Madrid, completed by Estudio Ros. Torre Mapfre in Barcelona, completed by JG Ingenieros, came in second place. In third position were the Vichy Catalan offices in Barcelona, by Wattia & B01 Arcquitectes.

The competition also recognized another two buildings in fourth and fifth place. These buildings were the Cuatro Caminos Mall in A Coruña, a Medancli project, and the Sorigué office in Tarragona, by 080 Arquitectura.

According to the Institute for Energy Saving and Diversification (IDAE), part of the Ministry of Ecological Transition, power consumption by temperature control systems in commercial buildings in Spain accounts for 57.2% of total usage: 31% going toward heating and 26.2% toward air-conditioning. The production of clean hot water accounted for 3.3%. These figures reflect the need to work on promoting energy saving and efficiency to improve sustainable development.

Sorigué’s office in Tarragona is located on a 5,000 m2 plot in the Riu Clar Industrial Park. The offices cover a footprint of 800 m2 and the workshops/warehouses cover another 2,000 m2. The building has been enclosed with prefabricated reinforced concrete panels and finished in breathable, waterproof and texture-less zinc.

The building takes advantage of natural light using skylights and vertical translucent faces made of polycarbonate. It produces energy with solar panels installed on the roof of the offices, earning the building a Class A energy certificate.