World Cities Day (31 October)
COMSA is committed to a model of sustainable urban development based on the advantageous use of resources, respect for the environment and, ultimately, the improvement of the quality of life of citizens. In this framework, in recent years the company has incorporated new techniques and methodologies that foster a more efficient management of projects, as well as technological innovations that reduce the energy bill of buildings and the environmental impact of infrastructures.
COMSA is currently running a set of four office buildings for Barcelonesa de Inmuebles across an area of close to 36,000 m2 in the 22@ district of Barcelona. The group of buildings is managed to sustainability criteria and will have 700 photovoltaic panels and an innovative hybrid climate system based on geothermal energy, developed by the European Geotech R+D project in which the COMSA technical area participated. It will also be connected to the 22@ district distribution network, thus reducing the energy consumption of the properties. In this sense, it is expected to obtain the Leed Platinum sustainable buildings certification (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), a standard of international prestige developed by the US Green Building Council.
In this same line, the group has recently launched eQualtiq, an advanced solution that allows the energy consumption of facilities and buildings to be optimized. This technology includes active control systems to adapt consumption to the real needs of the building and to predict future demands, and recommendation tools in order to propose and implement cost-saving and reduction measures.
This commitment to sustainable infrastructures also extends to the railway sector and civil works. COMSA has developed NEOBALLAST, a high-performance ballast that offers greater durability, less maintenance and improved performance against noise and vibrations. NEOBALLAST consists of the application of a special coating that contains particles of rubber derived from recycled tires. This reduces the noise and vibrations produced by rail traffic, and at the same time minimizes the environmental impact.
Through its technical and innovation area the construction company is also executing the RECOVER project (comprehensive sustainable anti-pollution treatment for the creation of green railway corridors) to create green railway corridors through systems for the elimination of pollutants associated with the exploitation of infrastructures, especially ballast. For its part, the FINLAY initiative (reduction of traffic accidents through sustainable fine and ultra-fine layered road surfaces with an extended life cycle) is committed to a new generation of high-performance asphalt mixes that improve the safety, durability and sustainability of road surfaces and reduce the cost of their life cycle.
New headquarters of the Cuatrecasas lawyer’s office in Barcelona, built by COMSA