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Bodegas Protos

Bodegas Protos Winery - Design

The design approach towards the structure of the building has been to generate a modular system of industrialised components that are assembled on site.

The concrete substructure of the base that accommodates both the cellar and production levels, is constructed of pre-cast concrete elements This bespoke system which was developed for the building, is an innovative structural solution of elements that can be assembled as a simple unidirectional system but that behaves like a bidirectional frame when completed.

The production level structure is formed by a nine by nine metre grid of columns, column-heads, beams and planks. The resultant structural depth is comparable to an in-situ solution - which was an important consideration in reducing the excavation - and benefits from quality control and speed of construction.

The structure of the light enclosure is formed by a modular system of laminated timber arches that span 18 metres, placed at nine metre intervals along the length of the span. The surface of the roof appears to float above them, as it is separated by a series of steel 'V' props. It is formed by a grid of timber beams and a structurally composed panel of timber and insulation.

Each phase of the wine-making process requires a very specific environment in terms of the temperature and humidity, but all require cooling and need to remain constant. The cool storage of bottles and barrels in the cellar require a room temperature between 14 and 16 degrees, while the different phases of the fermentation and the storage in the vats at production level require a temperature between 20 and 24 degrees.

Computer simulation was used by the design team to evaluate and adjust the performance of the passive energy devices of the light structure of the building: the ventilated terracotta rain screen of the roof surface, the nine metre overhangs in the north face and the solid east and west facades with an external tubular rain screen. Similarly, the contribution of the ground mass surrounding the sunken volume of the base of the building and its exposed concrete structure were tested as a fundamental contribution to the large thermal mass of the cellar and production levels.

The evaluation of the passive energy devices were the base for the design of environmental control systems of the building: a chilled water based system is used in the cellar while a mixed mode air system is used in the production level.

The façades and internal partition systems have been designed as in-fills within the powerful structural elements. Visual connectivity between the production areas, social and administrative facilities and the patio is provided by transparent glazed partitions.

The design introduces the use of traditional material - such as timber structural elements, timber roof, terracotta tiles, walls clad in local stone - but in a unique and modern format that reinterprets the nature of these materials using current technology.

    Legibility

The modular and systematic design of the exposed structure allows each of its components to be identifiable and to relate to the specific function each fulfilled.

    Flexibility

The storage capacity of the building has been maximised by the triangular form of the base that fills the site. The repetitive nine-metre structural grid allows a flexible use of the cellar for ageing wine in barrels and bottles.

    Energy

Cool storage of the wine is created by effective use of the thermal mass around the building and the exposed concrete structure. The south façade is protected by a nine-metre roof overhang while the east and west facades are shaded by a tubular rain screen. The terracotta tiles in the roof generate a ventilated cavity, allowing the sun's heat to be dissipated rather than radiating towards the inside of the building