The Cal Guerxo building is an outstanding project of rehabilitation and recovery of abandoned spaces that has managed to become a benchmark by obtaining the Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification, the first in Europe to do so, together with a LEED Platinum certification.
Cal Gerxo is a farmhouse located in Bresca, in the province of Lleida. Its design and conception has been based on regenerative architecture criteria, developed in a fully collaborative manner. The project has been led by its promoter and sustainability expert Emmanuel Pauwels, with the active participation of a large team of collaborating agents.
Obtaining certification is an exhaustive process, for example Cal Guerxo works with the natural water cycle: grey and black water is recycled, cleaned by natural processes and filtered in the ground, and 100% of all its needs are supplied by rainwater. It is a very efficient process in the management and use of it, without loss of comfort.
In addition, it generates 112% of the energy it needs, which “shows that renovation projects can achieve net positive targets”, says Emmanuel Pauwels, “We can shift the paradigm from reducing negative impacts to making positive contributions”. The Living Building Challenge is an international certification created in 2006 by the non-profit organisation Living Future Institute. The aim is to promote the most advanced standards of building sustainability, both in new and existing buildings. It seeks to promote the wellbeing and health of human beings through the built space.
If you want to know more about this project you can visit the Green Building Council website or the website of the International Institute for Future Living.
