UNIHABIT Student Residence in Ciutat Vella, Barcelona

Sustainable construction is becoming increasingly popular, aiming for maximum energy savings, comfort, and reduced environmental impact.

Thanks to this new trend in the construction sector, materials that were less commonly used are now being favored over others that have a much more polluting manufacturing process.

A great example of this new construction approach is the renovation of an industrial building by CONSTRUCTORA D'ARO, turned into a student residence in CIUTAT VELLA.

The new UNIHABIT residence features DJ68 series wooden windows by CARINBISA.

The windows installed in this renovation project were manufactured with laminated pine wood sourced from Sustainably Managed Forests (SMF). They are equipped with SAINT-GOBAIN Planitherm XN glass, Warm Edge spacers, and Argon gas, providing a total thermal transmittance (Uh) of 1.3 W/m²·K—designed to reduce heat loss and maximize energy efficiency.

Additionally, DJ68 series wooden windows have been installed with a new system that allows for virtually zero maintenance. As seen in the photo, the system includes an aluminum protective profile at the sill of the frame and the bottom of the sash—key areas when it comes to preserving wooden windows.

The installation was carried out on-site using ISO-BLOCO ONE airtight sealing tapes by AIS AVUÁ, which are multifunctional tapes certified by the Passivhaus Institute as a Passivhaus component. These ensure maximum airtightness and reduce energy loss between the wall and window joint.

This renovation has also made a significant contribution to fighting climate change. A reduction of 20 tons of CO₂ emissions was achieved, cutting the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. By choosing wooden windows over PVC, 45 tons of CO₂ emissions were avoided, and 165 tons compared to aluminum windows—equivalent to the annual consumption of 12 and 50 vehicles, respectively. A major added value in a BIOSUSTAINABLE building.

Thanks to all the materials used, including BIOSUSTAINABLE elements like CARINBISA’s wooden windows, this building will become a benchmark in BARCELONA for NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Buildings).

This new UNIHABIT student residence, located in a historic industrial building in the CIUTAT VELLA district in the heart of BARCELONA, close to MACBA, will soon be operational and offer room rentals aimed at the university community (students, professors, and researchers).