Interchanger

TEAM DATA

Team Representative: Joan Suñé Almenar (ES) – architect, landscaper

JASS Arquitectes
C/ Raval de la Roca Bruna 41, 08230 Matadepera (ES)
+34 600337765 - jassarchitects@gmail.com – www.jassarc.com

See the complete listing of portraits here
See the site page here

^{J. Suñé Almenar}

INTERVIEW

1. How did you form the team for the competition?

My studies as an Architect and Landscape Architect gave me the necessary tools to face the challenges that were exposed in the contest. For this reason, I decided to participate by myself, promptly consulting externally aspects of the project.
 

2. How do you define the main issue of your project, and how did you answer on this session main topic: the place of productive activities within the city?

My Project starts from a territorial landscape analysis to be able to give a particular solution of the place. From this analysis, I saw the need to connect the natural park of Collserola with the natural park of La Serralada de Marina through Vallbona, becoming this a natural interchanger between these two natural spaces. For this reason, it is deepened to find a solution that works well at different levels, whether from the point of view of landscape, nature and biodiversity as well as the urban, human and infrastructure strata. This connection is not easy due to the numerous infrastructures that cross and cut the Natural Landscape System, but I believe that I have given a powerful and valid solution to these conditions. Interchanger is a reflection of the change in the social and scientific paradigm, a new moral and ethical position that evaluates and solves the conditions for the correct evolution of the city with the natural environment.
 

3. How did this issue and the questions raised by the site mutation meet?

To solve the problem, I created a green corridor that joins the natural spaces of the Natural Park of Collserola, Vallbona and the natural park of the Serralada de Marina. This corridor has different levels and geometries, and it is intended to create the same habitats as the surrounding natural spaces, enabling existing natural species to colonize this new natural space.
A central strip, located at -3.00m from the original level of the land, directly connects the natural spaces without any interference while the Rec Comtal connects, enhances and articulates the biodiversity throughout the territory, creating different types of habitats for the species that inhabit the two nearby natural parks. Regarding to the transition between the natural and the urban strata, a large green space consisting of urban gardens and enjoyment spaces connects, gradually, the city with the interchanger.
 

4. Have you treated this issue previously? What were the reference projects that inspired yours?

In different projects I have treated the idea of connection between different natural spaces. For example, the connection of the city of Girona with the rivers that pass through it and the connection of Canyelles (Barcelona) with the Collserola Natural Park in the last edition of Europan, where I was finalist.
I have numerous references of landscape architects, such as Günther Vogt, Rosa Barba, Gilles Clément, Lawrence Halprin, Michele Desvigne, Michael Heizer, Catherine Mosbach... etc.
 

5. Urban-architectural projects like the ones in Europan can only be implemented together with the actors through a negotiated process and in time. How did you consider this issue in your project?

We, the architects and landscape architects, must think that in the end, what we design and create, is intended for the use and enjoyment of the citizens. We work for people, so it is logical that the development process of the project is a process that must be done jointly with the citizens and the public entities, which are still representatives of citizens. We believe that more than a negotiation it has to be a dialogue and a mutual understanding, whose final result is, without any doubt, a project of the people, by the people and for the people.
My project is based on two main axes: as we have stated, on the one hand, the need to connect the natural spaces of Collserola and Serralada de Marina, and on the other hand the creation of a metropolis that is designed for citizens, where public space is a clean, green, healthy and pleasant space to use, a space that is capable of harbour all people's wishes, needs and dreams.
 

6. Is it the first time you have been awarded a prize at Europan? How could this help you in your professional career?

It is the first time I’m awarded in the Europan competition. In the past edition, Europan 14, I was finalist in Barcelona Canyelles location. Being awarded in the Europan competition gives me the recognition, visibility and encouragement to continue exploring and working in my way of conceiving Architecture and Landscape.
 

TEAM IDENTITY

Office: JASS Arquitectes
Functions: Architecture, landscape
Average age of the associates: 29 years old

Has your team, together or separately, already conceived or implemented some projects and/or won any competition? If yes, which ones?

We are currently developing two landscape and territorial projects, and we have been awarded in several competitions:
- 2015: Honour Mention, Superilles Barcelona Archallenge Competition, in collaboration with Ajuntament de Barcelona
- 2016: Preselected Project, “Lienzo en Blanco” in Arquideas Venice Competition
- 2016: Finalist, Mies van der Rohe Fear of Columns Competition with the project More is Less
- 2017: Winner, Arquia Scholarship (Bank of Architects) Competition
- 2017: Finalist, EUROPAN 14 - Productive Cities/1 in Barcelona with the project “Farming Barcelona”
- 2017: Winner, new Thermal Park in Caldes de Montbui competition with the project “Transicions”
- 2018: Winner, Temps de Flors competition with the project “L’essencial”
- 2018: Winner, Lycee Français Madrid Competition as a collaborator in Campo Baeza Architects
- 2018: Finalist, LA+ Imagination Competition of PennDesign USA
- 2019: Second Prize, COAC Pavilion Competition for Construmat 2019 edition with the project “Levitat”
- 2019: Third Prize, EUROPAN 15 - Productive Cities/2 in Barcelona