La Campa by Javi Zaldívar Arquitectura I Paisatge
Public Landscapes / Public Landscapes / Spain / Built in 2019 /
www.javizaldivar.com
LA CAMPA: 10+1 goals for the public space of the 21st Century.
According to the Spanish dictionary, Campa means “land or field with no trees”. As the neighbours say, “this land had always been an empty space”. Despite of its exceptional location (a place nearby Collserola Nature Park with a view over the sea), La Campa used to be a debris landfill during the 80’s, when Barcelona was turning on to host the 1992 Olympic Games.
La Campa refurbished project started some years ago, thanks to the Teixonera neighbours, who had been claiming and dealing for it for a very long time. They wanted La Campa to be an accessible public space that would encourage sport and leisure not only for the neighbourhood, but also for the entire city. Through “Pla de barris” programme (a public investment programme of the municipality that seeks to reduce inequalities between the different neighbourhoods of Barcelona), the landscape design got the chance to give solutions to the demands of the neighbours, by means of meetings where we could discuss what they wanted, what they needed, and how it could be implemented, due to the low budget available.
Finally, we got it. Furthermore, La Campa is much more than a new green area in the neighbourhood.
La Campa is an ecological landscape. It achieves an earthmovings balance, reduces waste produced by materials, and minimizes CO2 emissions.
La Campa is a sustainable landscape. It recovers the natural water cycle, enhancing the infiltration of rainwater through WSUDs (Water Sensitive Urban Design Systems) by using gravel pits and green ditches.
La Campa is a biological landscape. It works as a stepping stone inside the green matrix of the city by using autochthonous vegetation from Collserola (with almost no-maintenance needed and low water requirements): pines forest & oak woods mixed with savannah meadows of Hyparrhenietum hirto-pubescentis. Both have an important ecologic function capturing CO2 and leaving O2. This means a better air quality, and, in consequence, biodiversity grows up and expands over the city of Barcelona. It also helps to fix the soil reducing erosion and attracting new urban fauna.
La Campa is a resilient landscape. It is ready to deal with weather emergency and climate change. For the first time in Barcelona, an extensive green area without irrigation system has been implemented, reducing the initial investment, minimizing water consumption (only trees micro-irrigation is needed) and diminishing maintenance. This green area takes a chance on natural evolution of vegetation and its own self-management.
La Campa is an accessible landscape. It aims to facilitate sustainable mobility (for bikes and pedestrians) between the neighbourhoods of La Teixonera and La Vall d’Hebron, and improves accessibility. Existing access from Coll i Alentorn St. is adapted and a new one is created at the same level of Granja Vella St. In this way, an accessible route is achieved in the neighbourhood, as many of its neighbours use La Campa to cross from one side to the other, thus avoiding the two perimeter streets, with an 11% slope.
La Campa is an efficient landscape. It was designed with a minimum budget available(34€/m2) to achieve the maximum performance (new and sustainable water treatment system, new LED-technology street lighting, new urban furniture, sport facilities and playground) by simplifying, optimizing and diversifying natural elements available (resource-based economy).
La Campa is a humble landscape. Only two materials (local sand pavement and wooden sleepers with FCC certificate) were used to build up all the elements of the new public space, minimizing subsequent maintenance.
La Campa is an active landscape. It promotes healthy habits and enhances sport through signposted routes of different distances (100, 200 and 300m). Furthermore, a standard long jump track of approved measurements and three areas with fitness equipment are available.
La Campa is an inclusive landscape. It takes into account all kind of people, regardless of their age, gender or origin. It also makes easier the development of dialy activities, not only those considered productive.
La Campa is a playful landscape. The park is considered a single ludic and multifunctional space. This is possible thanks to new topographies, and balance elements that create new natural playground. What is most important is that it promotes diversifications, creativity and imagination, socialization, appropriation of space, coexistence, inclusion and dynamization.
La Campa is a collaborative landscape. It is the result of a citizen participation process that addresses and resolves a neighbourhood demand.
Name of the project: LA CAMPA
Project category: PUBLIC SPACE PROJECT
Office: Javi Zaldívar Arquitectura I Paisatge (www.javizaldivar.com)
Author: Javi Zaldívar, architect & landscape architect
Collaborators: Quim Bosch, Lourdes Romeo, Elisabeth Torregrosa, Carmela Torró
Photography: Quim Bosch
Location: Av. Martí Codolar nº1 08035 Barcelone – SPAIN
Design year: October 2018 Construction year: September 2019
Manager: BIMSA (Barcelona d’Infraestructures Municipals S.A.)
Promoter: Ayuntamiento de Barcelona
Contractor: HERCAL
Surface: 11.950m2
Budget: 496.899,08€
Ratio: 34,36€/m2
Coordinates: “41.221602”,”2.65143″
