Torre Guil environmental educational centre, Murcia, Spain. Proposal for energy saving and demonstration.

The buildings of this Environment Educational Center, designed with innovative energy saving features, minimize the impact on the preexisting environment. Renewable energy concepts have been applied to the building design, and intelligent control of lighting and air-conditioning has been included. Most of the buildings are green roof underground buildings, where domes that allow spans up to 42 m have been designed. Average energy saving is over 70% on heating and cooling demands and 60% in lighting. The design optimize the energy savings on underground constructions through several innovative concepts as the use of specific natural materials that act both as insulators and thermal mass or the selective distribution of the thermal mass on building perimeter. The Center will promote the demonstration of rational use of energy and disseminate on environmental protection. The studie of the view was made to integrate architecture and surrounding. From our point of view, "it is necessary to gain knowledge and to cultivate lectures of natural environments from all points of view, including the architect who must be able to adopt a posture of respect towards nature, even when this means you are unable to leave your artistic print at the building site". This project is financed by The Mediterranean Saving Bank, CAM and has approximate cost of 5 900 000 $ ECU or 6 700 000 $USA, that will be finished the 3th of November 1999 and executed by the constructor VILLEGAS. Murcia.