Nestle
Location:
Graneros, Chile
Architect/Specifier:
Guillermo Hevia
Nestle's newest plant located in Graneros (just south of Santiago) Chile, recently opened its doors. Sustainable architecture was Guillermo Hevia's plan from the very start of the building's design. The structure features bioclimatic technology that takes into account the area's conditions and integrates the structure into its environment to use energy and financial resources in the most efficient way possible. The combination of glass and concrete, along with the black metal roofs of Screen Panel - manufactured in corten steel by Hunter Douglas - brings out the nature of the materials resulting in a unique industrial appeal.A "double skin" is created which envelopes the building in corten steel. This material is naturally oxidized in the short term to generate its own protection, neutralizing its deterioration and maintenance requirements. This creates a facade that not only changes tones at different times of day, it also protects against solar radiation. Since it's separated from the building's volume, it generates a vertical Venturi ventilation system, making cooled air circulate by the evaporation of pond water that surrounds it. The metal skins have different treatments of perforations, flat plates and black glass. The rhythm by which the panels are applied results in the interplay between empty and filled spaces that interact with the building's lighting, seemingly bringing the building to life.