Escuela de Politécnica Superior

Heating and cooling consume a high amount of energy, which is today mainly provided by fossil fuels. To save fossil resources and simultaneously reduce pollutants and CO2, heating and cooling energy consumption should be reduced. Geothermal energy is a clean, inexhaustible source of energy that is available all year round because it does not depend on the weather. Nevertheless, the use of tempered subsoil air has been used as a traditional air conditioning strategy; however, nowadays, its use has been questioned by the discovery of the leaks of radon gas from the ground. The investigation searches a heat exchange system with the subsoil which prevents the introduction of radon gas into living spaces. The system that is exposed increases the performance of aerothermal heat pumps by means of thermal exchange with tempered air in the sanitary chamber. This exchange is more favorable than air at the outside temperature, increasing the COP of the machine. This system complies with the regulations for protection against radon, protecting the building from this radioactive gas.

The scientific understanding of the concepts of cold and heat that have accompanied the human species throughout history has not been easy. The concept of heat is more widespread and studied among us, as well as its consequences. However, we wonder what would happen if we lowered the temperature a lot? As the temperature begins to drop, it can be predicted that the atoms tend to slow down, slowing down their speed, and when this happens, existing theories begin to tremble. The laws governing the atomic world, so small and tiny, do not allow objects (atoms, protons, neutrons, etc.) to stop. This is where quantum physics appears, it tells us how particles behave at the atomic level, and they appear in a forceful way when we approach temperature values around absolute zero. If atoms stopped moving, they would have zero energy, however, quantum mechanics makes it impossible to have this kind of energy.

Juan Navarro Baldeweg´s installation Interior III (1975) was exhib ited at the Center for Advanced Visual Studies (CAVS) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1975, as a compendium of the research that he began to develop around the exploration of optical phenomena and color, seeking to investigate those mechanisms that allow observation, apprehension, and the understanding of the environment. The installation is part of a series, in which, starting from empty rooms, Juan Navarro Baldeweg explored various concepts and ideas, which, over time, came to be what he called the essential variables that can be found in his architectural designs and works of art. The study of this instal lation and the optical pieces that he created in this context can help us understand in depth some of these variables, which ended up laying the foundations on which his unique professional career is based.

Digital fabrication technologies can be powerful tools for architectural representation, assisting during the fabrication of physical models and prototypes useful in architectural design. The use of these technologies can contribute to complement conventional architectural drawings by allowing the creation of physical models, prototypes and architectural models of constructive details or structural elements, to be used as visualization and communication tools to explore different solutions during the design phase. Therefore, it seems appropriate to reflect and work towards a better integration between the latest digital fabrication technologies and architectural graphic tools to assist the architect. This paper will try to deepen on the applications of digital fabrication in the field of Architecture, based on the projects carried out in Fab Lab Madrid CEU, the Digital Fabrication Laboratory based at CEU University, reflecting about the potential of milling machines, laser cutters, 3D printers and molding and casting technologies to materialize ideas and projects.

The VEM project ( Emergency house project ) aims a series of objectives based on energy efficiency through the study of basic parameters, by natural systems, to reach climatic comfort: the influence of the form factor in the climatic performance, the orientation, ventilation, and an adequate performance towards the temperature and humidity conditions that the different climate zones offer. From the resulting data, the validity in the performance of the VEM project’s constructive system is verified based on its energy simulation. The study begins with the energy simulation of the project with the Ecotect Analysis program, in five locations: continental Mediterranean climate (Madrid), monsoon climate (New Delhi), tropical climate (Brasilia), continental humid climate (Montreal), and semiarid climate (Karachi); considering its constructive system, materials, orientation, ventilation, incident solar radiation, environmental conditions (temperature, wind, rainfall), generating a study on technical control and the degree of environmental influence on the project. In every location, the behavior is simulated for both a cold and a warm day, recollecting data on Wh (energy gains and losses) and interior temperature, considering the variations throughout the day. The second part of the study goes beyond the simulation, with the aim to improve the first results and delve more deeply into the materials of the envelope, the color and the material’s reflection, studying the effects produced on the interior temperature, taking into account the region and climate of the simulation. It also addresses the positive effect produced by the form factor applied in the VEM project, its advantages compared to other designs with different form factors; all to amend possible thermal tolerances and allow comfort in the interior of the living space.