Altura Wins MAPEI Award for Sustainable Parc de l’Ossa Design

The architecture firm Altura has won first prize in the public space category at the MAPEI Awards for its design of Parc de l’Ossa in Encamp. The project blends urban integration with advanced sustainability features, earning praise for its adaptation to the local context and seamless connection to the surrounding landscape.

Key elements include balanced architectural forms, carefully chosen materials, and green roofs on buildings that aid climate regulation, boost biodiversity, and manage rainwater sustainably. These roofs capture and release precipitation gradually, easing strain on sewers during heavy downpours. The design also features a water management system tied directly to the nearby river, using a vegetated lagoon to improve water quality before it returns to the waterway and support local ecosystems.

Gerard Veciana, an architect at Altura, explained that the project stemmed from a competition organised by Encamp council, involving around ten local teams and featuring a public jury. The brief called for two separate parks divided by a street, but Altura proposed sinking the road by four metres to create a single unified park spanning the site. This approach also provided access to an underground car park required by the programme. “This strategy of burying the street to form one park instead of two divided ones was probably what appealed most,” Veciana said.

A major focus was re-establishing the river as a central urban feature. Historically in Andorra, rivers have been treated as marginal spaces, often backed by rear building facades rather than valued as assets. The park brings water to the forefront with spaces for lingering and viewing, including a cantilevered viewpoint extending five or six metres over the river.

To minimise environmental impact, the team prioritised wood over concrete, reused materials like fences and stones from the old park, and incorporated over 100 plant species for richer biodiversity. “We didn’t want just a lawn carpet—more diversity means richer nature,” Veciana noted.

The award has led to further recognition: a mention at the Green Solutions Awards 2024-2025, announced during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Brazil last November. Carles Miquel, director of Andorra’s Energy and Climate Change Office, accepted the diploma on 12 November on behalf of Altura during official events.

Veciana described the accolades as particularly meaningful for a small mountain territory like Andorra. “Working remotely from major centres, it’s rewarding when efforts for sensitive, sustainable architecture are valued,” he said, while stressing that each project must suit its unique site and needs.