Architects: Carolina González Vives
Photographs: Nacho Uribe Salazar
Architect-in-Charge: Ojo de Pez Arquitectura, Carolina González Vives
Context: Design exhibition Casa Decor 2015
Surveyor: Susana Plasencia
Production: Dorita Mittelman
Collaborators: Ignacio Peinado, Isabel Negro, Ester Llamazares.
City: Madrid
Country: Spain
The Clouds Observatory, by Carolina González Vives, reimagines natural cooling methods inspired by oases, using shade, vegetation, and water to create a low-energy, cooled outdoor environment on the Casadecor rooftop terrace. The design leverages evaporation and condensation to dissipate up to 70% of solar radiation, contrasting with air conditioning, which merely relocates heat. By modeling air movement, radiation, and temperatures, the project optimizes cool air retention. Key features include inflatable covers that mimic clouds, sloped surfaces, artificial hills, and mirrors with printed images, creating a dynamic urban oasis that showcases air and water dynamics.
The project begins by examining how oases in arid regions naturally cool outdoor environments through the strategic use of shade, vegetation, and water, achieving refrigeration with minimal energy consumption. Inspired by the efficiency of closed cycles observed in aerospace research, the design aims for ambitious environmental performance.
In water-abundant landscapes, processes like evaporation and condensation can dissipate up to 70% of solar radiation. Unlike conventional air conditioning, which displaces heat to adjacent areas, energy from vapor particles rises to higher atmospheric layers, reducing heat absorption by the soil and building materials. Furthermore, low-energy ecosystems, functioning as living machines, purify water on-site, supporting vegetation through irrigation and transpiration.
Current technology allows these natural cooling processes to be optimized within architectural design. Software tools can model air movement, material radiation, and temperatures to determine shapes and materials that preserve cool air for extended periods, enhancing the balance between water and energy consumption and improving comfort levels.
The Casadecor rooftop terrace provided an ideal testing ground for this concept, serving as a unique platform within the dense urban fabric with direct exposure to the expansive urban sky.
The goal was to maintain the terrace’s identity as a landscape rather than a domestic space, creating an atmospheric observatory that highlights air and water dynamics. The design showcases the potential of architecture by combining form, evaporation, and shade to transform the urban heat island into a refreshing oasis.
Minimal elements were introduced; protection from sun and rain is provided by three inflatable covers resembling low clouds, which contribute to the watery foreground. These lightweight structures emphasize the thickness and density of the air, capable of suspending plastic sheeting beneath which vaporization creates a denser, cooler environment.
The design extends the geometry of slopes in the pavement and tiled roofs with new surfaces, creating artificial hills that invite visitors to lie down and look upwards. These slopes also serve to reduce the visual impact of the enclosing perimeter walls.
Printed images on mirrors at various inclinations are placed on the highest walls, reflecting and multiplying the views of clouds and rooftops at different scales, enhancing the overall atmospheric experience.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Madrid, Spain
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
