Escuela de Politécnica Superior

As a primary goal, Inadequate energy consumption and outdated construction systems are causing financial losses for homeowners. Spain’s failure to meet European guidelines on CO2 emissions highlights the urgent need to address the energy inefficiency of buildings, responsible for 40% of such emissions. This article presents a comprehensive refurbishment project undertaken in the Lagos Park residential building in Madrid. The paper offers a detailed analysis of common building issues related to excessive humidity in the surrounding areas and deficiencies in the energy performance of the building envelope, including facades and roofs. Precise measures for achieving compliance with the Spanish Technical Building Code (CTE), as well as enhancing energy efficiency and functionality, are explained through the renovation of the building envelopes. The study also encompasses improvements made to the domestic hot water supply systems and the air-conditioning system, which contribute to the building’s attainment of an optimal energy rating (energy Class A). The extensive renovation undertaken in the complex has transformed Lagos Park homes into “zero energy consumption” residences. The strategies employed, ranging from electrical appliances to the house’s structural design, are all geared towards maximizing energy usage efficiency, resulting in significantly reduced monthly electricity bills by 65%–75%.

The Smart Citizen concept is at an early stage of research in the field of architecture and landscape architecture. ICTs and their use by citizens have been studied exclusively in the fields of engineering and telecommunications sciences as well as Artificial Intelligence. This study seeks to publicize the Smart Citizen concept in architecture and landscape from a spatial understanding and the perception of citizens with intellectual disabilities. A real case study developed by architects in collaboration with psychologists focused on the development of spatial intelligence for people with intellectual disabilities is presented in this study. “The students that participated in these activities belong to San Pablo CEU University course financed by ONCE Foundation (FONCE) and the European Social Fund.” The purpose is to question the effectiveness of the use of technologies for said cognitive development and how even the increased use of GPS navigator systems could be a detriment to the citizen when trying to orient him or herself in open spaces. The result to highlight in this review is to know if a person with a disability is equally capable of understanding a space and navigate it without the aid of GPS as a person without an intellectual disability. Both analogical tools (2D plan) and digital tools (GPS) are used under the same conditions. New lines of research are presented in the study of spatial intelligence through innovating tools or TICs in relation to urban elements where concepts like scale, proportion, light, and shade were identified