ENDESA World Fab Condenser

The ENDESA WORLD FAB CONDENSER is a thermodynamic prototype, a bioclimatic dome installed in Plaza de Glorias (Barcelona) when the BCN FAB10 congress (the tenth international congress on digital manufacturing). The prototype explores connections between parametric design, passive climate strategies and local manufacturing by numerical control. The materials are renewable and of organic origin (wood and linen, materials grown with the sun) and manufactured on a local scale (industries and manufacturing laboratories in Barcelona and surrounding areas). The prototype was designed (written in code) in 2 months, manufactured in 5 days and assembled in 4 with the help of volunteers from Fab Labs (manufacturing laboratories) around the world. The pavilion is made up of 20 triangular modules. Components all different, but sharing the same training, construction and material logic. Parametric design brings us the possibility of working with complexity and geometric variability, at the same time, the mathematical logic that orders said variability allows, through digital manufacturing tools, to share prefabrication strategies and accelerate communication processes (machine design) and productive and construction processes. The dome seeks to render the surrounding thermodynamic and climatic processes.

The initial geometry (a regular icosahedron) is first deformed and adapted seeking to minimize incident solar radiation in summer, while maximizing it in winter. The skin bulges or swells outwards, in geometries more typical of sailing, to accelerate wind speeds (vernoulli) and facilitate the use of cross ventilation. The orientations of the north-south openings follow the predominant wind directions (mountain-sea) generating alternating ventilation patterns (morning-afternoon). The surrounding 200m2 wooden platform acts as a reserve of fresh air, naturally injected into the main space through the perforations under the stands every time the wind blows. Finally, the assembly process is completely reversible. Wood and fabrics are easily removable (in just one day) and easily reusable or recyclable.