OOIIO. (Spain). Learning from Tradition in Contemporary Architecture.

La Tradición que perdura.

In OOIIO we understand bioclimatic architecture as the one that optimizes its energy in relation with the environment thanks to a good architectural design.
When we say “bioclimatic” we want to focus in the influence that man has, the “bios”, as the final user of architecture, facing the external environment, the “climate”; affecting both together in the final architecture form.

For centuries, architecture has used different systems to protect interior spaces from inclement weather, but in other cases, it also manages to take advantage of certain favorable conditions that the outside climate can offer us.

In OOIIO when designing our buildings, we like to reinterpret this facts with some of the oldest and most effective passive systems. These can be for example mobile elements such as awnings, slats, blinds; or fixed as eaves, pergolas, vegetation … even with gestures as simple and economical as the façade coating with a white color in locations where it is interesting to reflect the sun’s heat. In this sense, we also take advantage of natural convective phenomena (chimney effect), relying on what is called “natural cross ventilation” coming from the study and design of interior patios, with green areas and water for reach comfort temperatures and indoor health levels.

On the other hand, we know that the thermal inertia in the design and construction of buildings is a recurrent traditional resource in climatic zones where the temperature difference between day and night is high, to reach the thermal comfort of its users. With suitable materials, these usually quite “thick” facades are able to store energy during the day and release it at night. This passive measure allows to save energy in air conditioning both in heating and cooling, maintaining a stable temperature throughout the day.

As you can see, it is a matter of using techniques from our grandparents again in contemporary architecture, well, actually from our grandparents’ grandparents … recovering ancestral passive techniques, tremendously economic and efficient, with zero energy consumption.

In OOIIO we usually propose buildings where, through a correct reinterpretation of these traditional construction systems, the desired thermal comfort is achieved without the need to consume energy. We raise cheap buildings to maintain and respect the environment that surrounds them.

All OOIIO projects are designed with the commitment to reduce their energy consumption as much as possible, within the budget requirements of each client.

Link to a sustainable building refurbishment designed by OOIIO inspired in local tradition.