Sagunto
Urban Design
Madrid, Spain
2022

This project is enrolled in the program EU-LIFE PACT. People-Driven: Adapting Cities for Tomorrow See AlsoEU-LIFE PACT .The overarching objective of the LIFE PACT project is to develop and test an integrated approach to urban climate change adaptation (CCA) that draws on the efforts of multiple stakeholders, including local government, citizens, universities, and private actors, to implement Nature Based Solutions (NBS) more effectively.

 

Rooted in the concept of renaturalization, the project’s goal transcends traditional climate mitigation strategies by seeking to regenerate and reintroduce nature into the urban fabric. By focusing on the rehabilitation of public spaces and fostering active community participation, CEIP Sagunto sets a precedent for revitalizing urban landscapes.

(Fig. 01) Map for the European Commission’s Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre
(Fig. 02) Forman, Indispensable Landscape Patterns, 1995.
(Fig. 03) Leon Krier, Two Kinds of Roofs, 1974.
(Fig. 04) Soil moisture gradient and the effect on species composition. Theodore Cochrane and Hugh Iltis, 2000.

In this context, renaturalization is not just the addition of greenery to a built environment; it is the deliberate integration of nature in a way that restores ecological functions, promotes biodiversity, and contributes to the physical and mental wellbeing of the community.

San Cristóbal de los Ángeles, where the poject is located, is a neighborhood that emerged in a context of limited urban planning, marked by an initial lack of basic public services. For years, residents faced poor public transportation, scarce educational and health facilities, and insufficient infrastructure such as police stations or community services—symptoms of broader infrastructural neglect.

(Fig. 05) Survey carried out for the periodical ABC, November, 1966
(Fig. 06) Historic photo of San Cristobal
See AlsoLCA Archive
(Fig. 07) Historic photo of San Cristobal

The built environment is characterized by a linear block typology with interstitial open spaces, many of which remain underused or poorly maintained, reflecting the area’s fragmented development over time. The construction deficiencies of the built environment, the socioeconomic profile of the residents, and the climatic context of San Cristóbal make energy poverty particularly severe during the summer months, exacerbating conditions of vulnerability.

(Fig. 08) Lidar solar map

Despite these challenges, the neighborhood retains a strong sense of identity, shaped by shared histories, local activism, and a long-standing tradition of mutual care and collective resilience.

The project seeks not only to implement NBS for climate change mitigation but to recover vulnerable urban areas, covering all actions to improve public space for its rehabilitation and re-naturalization, as well as progress towards improvement of community engagement.

(Fig. 09) Three-dimensional climate refuge
(Fig. 10) Climate-adaptive public space

The intervention, developed in the urban environment surrounding CEIP Sagunto, approached the site as a layered structure—an integrated system operating across three dimensions.

Create a permeable stratum to reduce the effects of increasing floods caused by torrential rains due to climate change. This will involve incorporating vegetation in all green areas to prevent land dragging. Rainwater will also be managed and reused to maintain the intervention area.
A selection of native plant species with low water demand will be made to generate protected coverage in all green areas. This will improve the hygrothermal conditions of the urban environment and neighboring homes. Introducing biodiversity will attract new animal species and help recover the area's ecosystem.
An accessible space will be designed with meeting elements that ensure a community united by including elements that allow intergenerational cohesion and a safe space for all users in all time slots.

At the base, the ground is made of low-compacted anthropic soil—artificial and unstable, but capable of supporting moisture-retaining low vegetation that helps regulate humidity. Above, taller plants provide shade, improve comfort, and support walkability.

(Fig. 11) Soil permeability gradients

This layered structure supports both human and non-human life: birds nest in the trees, insects move through the undergrowth, and vegetation filters particles from the air, improving environmental quality.

Client
EU Commission of European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency

UPM Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Madrid City Council

Status
In progess

Design dates
2022: Phase I — Pre-concept Design
2022: Phase II — Concept Design
2023: Phase III — Construction

Program
Urban Design
Nature Based Solutions (NBS)

Team
Concept Design: Toni Cañellas, Javier Martinez Silvia Muñoz and Paula Bozalongo
Research, applied knowledge integration and pilot project development: Toni Cañellas, Mireia Ferri, Santiago Gómez, Beatriz López-Cortijo, Javier Martinez and Silvia Muñoz

Collaborators
DemSoc, Basurama, ABIO, CEIP Sagunto, Madrid City Council, Technical University of Madrid, Agustín López de Ayala, Carlos Garcóa Gómez, GMC Topógrafos, Inkolan

Photography / Images
equipo.exe

Budget
2 M €

Gross area
8.200 m2