The FCC Group's infrastructure division has now completed the phase-3 extension works for the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante.

FCC Construcción completes the project to extend the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) The FCC Group's infrastructure division has now completed the phase-3 extension works for the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante.

The new office building, which will be able to house 150 workers, is distributed over two basement levels and four upper storeys, with an area built of 7,112 square metres of office space plus 6,880 square metres of parking space.

Of particular relevance is the excellent score that the design of this building has obtained from BREEAM ES, with a 90.49% rating, which is an EXCEPCIONAL score for the provisional design phase, i.e. the highest possible distinction under the BREEAM® international certification system for sustainable building.

Obtaining the highest possible score for a new building is quite a challenge, because this level of sustainability is only achieved by 1% of the buildings assessed by the BREEAM methodology.

This has been possible thanks to a sustainability strategy that has enabled the building to minimise its energy and water consumption, while being healthy and having minimal environment impact. Some of the sustainability measures included in the design are:

• The AA3 project has been conceived as a single building laid out as two diaphanous office wings running north to south, connected by a vertical communication core, as being the option that is the most rational, functional, efficient and sustainable.
• The surround has been designed to minimise energy consumption. The lengthwise façade is glazed so that all the offices have views onto the exterior or landscaped interior courtyards.
• The exterior closure of the building consists of a wall with an outer layer of horizontal slats that filter sunlight and provide shade for the interior, thereby preventing sunlight irradiation inside the offices and avoiding overheating.
• The roof of the underground car park is inverted, protecting the sheeting with a layer of reinforced concrete and a surface finish of deactivated-concrete plates in through areas and topsoil in green areas.

The new building will be integrated into the existing complex to create a functional, efficient work campus with landscaped areas featuring five habitats for native plants as well as sports facilities. About BREEAM® certification Set up in the UK in 1990, BREEAM® (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) is the leading and most technically advanced assessment and certification method for the sustainability of buildings in the world, with over 270,000 buildings now certified in 63 countries.