Installation of automatic doors in the KNEM offices, a sustainable building with LEED Gold certification

Located in Poblenou, one of Barcelona's most avant-garde neighbourhoods, the KNEM offices represent an example of architectural rehabilitation that combines industrial memory, design and sustainability. Designed by the b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos studio, the building has received several national and international awards, as well as the prestigious LEED Gold energy certification, which ensures compliance with stringent criteria in terms of efficiency and sustainability. Manusa has installed automatic doors to provide access to the various buildings of these offices and to address the challenges posed by such a unique building.

The KNEM offices are situated in a former jute factory that combines traditional materials, such as brick and wood, with aluminium and glass. The building poses multiple challenges for the installation of its main entrances. The doors must be integrated into a building with an elegant architectural style that evokes the industrial past of the district. They also have to meet the requirements to ensure the building's energy efficiency and to maintain LEED Gold certification. All this without creating barriers to the smooth and accessible movement of people.

Design and energy efficiency with automatic sliding doors

To respond to all these challenges, Manusa has installed standard automatic sliding doors with central opening at the entrances to the buildings’ complex. Thanks to their high opening and closing speed, the automatic doors minimise the air exchange between indoors and outdoors, thus reducing the loss of air conditioning and contributing to energy savings. This aspect is especially relevant in LEED Gold-certified buildings, where every element adds up in terms of sustainability. In this sense, it is worth mentioning that the Manusa automatic doors of the Visio+100 and Visio+125 range (equipped with Visio+ operators) have the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), which reinforces the efficiency and sustainability strategies required by a high-level certification such as LEED Gold.

Another key aspect of the project highlights Manusa's ability to customise its solutions to adapt them to every need. In this case, the doors are fully integrated into the architectural language of the KNEM offices. Their leaves incorporate wooden profiles, and the glass facilitates the passage of natural light during sunlight hours. The wooden finishes give continuity to the aesthetic line of the building's large windows, which are also framed with this material. This attention to detail allows the entrances to be harmoniously integrated into the overall design, reinforcing the aesthetic coherence and respecting the visual identity of the architectural project.

In addition, automatic doors improve the accessibility of any type of access. Their contact-free operation facilitates the passage of people with reduced mobility or people carrying loads, eliminating physical obstacles and guaranteeing a comfortable and fluid access. Overall, Manusa's intervention reinforces the functionality, accessibility and efficiency of access to the KNEM offices, in coherence with its objectives of sustainability and design.