NUA Arquitectures Renovates Catalan Textile Warehouse with Timber Office Block

# A New Office Block in a Historic Textile Warehouse Spanish studio NUA Arquitectures has completed a renovation project in El Pont d'Armentera, near Barcelona. The project involves the creation of a small office block within a historic textile warehouse using timber partitions. ## A Mediation Between Memory and Identity The project aims to retain and celebrate the existing fabric of the warehouse, which is one of the last remaining structures from the once-thriving textile industry in southern Catalonia. NUA Arquitectures has inserted a new block of offices housed within a standalone timber structure, creating a building-within-a-building effect. The studio's goal is to mediate between memory, identity, and the act of dwelling. They have achieved this by adaptive retention and radical reuse of the existing warehouse. The project recovers and celebrates the industrial and textile history of El Pont d'Armentera, according to NUA Arquitectures. ## A Communal Plaza and Timber-Framed Balcony At the northwestern entrance to the offices, a communal paved plaza has been created. This plaza is sheltered by a vaulted canopy made of concrete and terracotta-coloured steel, and dotted with trees and curving lampposts. The plaza leads into a corner of the existing warehouse that has been enclosed with timber and glass partitions, creating a two-story office and meeting space. To the west, the offices extend beyond the footprint of the existing factory, forming a small single-story block topped by a band of patterned tiles. This contains a dining area and kitchen that overlook the plaza. A terracotta-paved route, dubbed the red carpet by the studio, leads from the plaza through the offices and ends in a staircase and ramp that lead down to the warehouse floor, which is overlooked by a timber-framed balcony above. ## Sustainable Design The primary working medium for the project is the existing building fabric itself, both physical and contextual. NUA Arquitectures has recycled viable elements, including stone, and used lightweight tectonics, such as timber and ceramics, for the rehabilitation. The concrete and brick structure of the surrounding warehouse has been reinforced to allow for the creation of new openings and skylights, while its walls have been updated with external insulation. The project showcases NUA Arquitectures' commitment to sustainable design and adaptive reuse of existing structures. The studio's previous projects include the renovation of an old stone house and the Casa Juià farmhouse, both in Catalonia.