Is constructive rehabilitation possible while preserving architectural identity?
Madrid, a traditional brick city
The city of Madrid is located between the Tagus and Manzanares rivers, on a terrain composed almost entirely of sand, clay, and silt. Therefore, it is not surprising that, since the Middle Ages, we find almost all the facades of its vernacular architecture built of brick.
This view that Madrid offers us of its Heritage architecture is extremely distinctive, and offers a cultural identity to the city that we do not find in other European capitals, where, due to their location, construction with stone or other materials may have been more traditional.
Heritage as Cultural Identity
As Alberto Tellería pointed out in his presentation on June 6th at the launch of Conarquitectura magazine No. 90, in La Paloma Design Studio, the heritage of the city of Madrid represents our cultural identity as a city. It is the architecture we inherit from our history, understood not only as its buildings, but also as its streets, landscapes, and gardens.
Therefore, the public administration is obliged to defend, protect, and enrich its heritage, since it is publicly owned. Heritage is our identity as a community and is part of our culture. Everyone has the right to enjoy and learn about it.
Heritage in Relation to the Public and the Private
This public identity, along with the cultural value that Heritage entails, can conflict with private interests and private property and endanger Heritage. Therefore, architectural heritage in the hands of private individuals can be a real burden for the public administration.
The 19th century was the golden age of brick for Madrid. It colonized the facades of all types of buildings and left us an important legacy in Madrid architecture, a Neo-Mudejar style with great names such as Emilio Rodríguez Ayuso, architect of works such as the Palace of the Duke of Anglada, the House of Doctor Núñez, the Aguirre Schools, and the Madrid Bullring with Álvarez Capra.
During this period, brick constructions were executed in all their forms, shaping an architectural style that emphasized the constructive sincerity of ceramics, even executing the decorations from the piece, through interplays of texture, color, and mortar.
Need for Protection of Modern Working-Class Architectural Heritage
19th-century constructions were not restricted solely to large buildings such as palaces and public buildings; many brick homes for the working classes were built. These works are also part of our cultural heritage and have both technical and aesthetic value.
These architectural typologies must also be eligible for protection by public bodies, as they are also part of our cultural identity. The working classes, their architecture, and their culture also have the right to leave their mark on history and memory, just like modern architecture.
During the 1950s and 1970s, there was an exponential growth in residential architecture for the working classes. This type of social housing boasts high architectural quality and very low housing standards.
Loss of identity of renovations in ceramic architecture
The renovations of these buildings, since they are not protected, are carried out in a haphazard manner, focusing on the lowest possible cost in the short term without considering the aesthetics or architectural quality of the previous project and the city, and implementing systems that allow us to increase housing quality without losing surface area in the interior living space.
The massive installation of SATE (exterior thermal insulation systems) with single-layer sprayed mortar finishes as a façade construction system constitutes a threatening risk to heritage and is used both in new construction projects and for the rehabilitation of this residential stock we have inherited.
With this widespread use, we run the risk of losing much of the constructive identity of our cities, changing the aesthetics, architectural language, and material quality that ceramics once provided.
TERMOKLINKER, a system solution for the rehabilitation of ceramic heritage
TERMOKLINKER emerged more than 14 years ago as a constructive solution to this phenomenon, combining the aesthetics of exposed brick with the standards of The most demanding energy efficiency standards.
The system combines insulation using extruded polystyrene panels and clinker ceramic tiles, which can maintain the product’s useful life of up to 150 years without the need for maintenance.
TERMOKLINKER panels cover the façade, generating greater thermal inertia in the living space and creating an envelope that protects the building, acts as a barrier against atmospheric agents, and respects the aesthetics of cities.
TERMOKLINKER insulating panels are mechanically anchored to the supporting structure, simplifying their installation in renovation projects. This, combined with the industrialization of the manufacturing process, reduces costs and construction times.
