"An industrial loft is not finished when the services are installed: it is finished when the space can absorb silence."
The Poblenou district is Barcelona's urban laboratory. The former industrial grid of the 22@ tech district has generated growing demand for conversions of production spaces into high-quality homes and offices. This project started from a single-storey unit of 220 sqm, with steel columns every 6 metres and a trapezoidal sheet steel roof.
1. Structural reinforcement and slab installation
The existing HEB-200 steel columns were cleaned and protected with 400-micron intumescent paint, giving them 90-minute fire resistance (R-90) as required by the Spanish Building Code for residential use. A new 15 cm concrete composite slab was cast on corrugated steel decking, providing the thermal mass needed to stabilise interior temperature.
2. Thermal and acoustic envelope
The existing roof was waterproofed with a double-layer modified bitumen membrane and 12 cm extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation, achieving a thermal transmittance of U = 0.22 W/m²K. The vertical envelope was internally lined with an 85 mm plasterboard and rock wool system, acoustically isolating the loft from the surrounding industrial noise and street traffic.
3. Services: mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
Air quality in an industrial loft with 4.5 m ceiling heights and extensive south-facing glazing demands a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system. The unit installed guarantees 0.8 air changes per hour with 92% heat recovery efficiency, reducing ventilation-related heat losses by 85%.
4. Interior layout and finishes
The interior is organised around a central service core — kitchen, two bathrooms and wardrobes — built in plasterboard, leaving the full perimeter of the unit free. The floor is polished concrete with quartz aggregate, hardened and sealed with matte polyurethane resin. The external joinery is slim-profile aluminium with solar-control glazing.
Conclusion
This Poblenou loft is now a reference for industrial conversion in Barcelona, proving the city's industrial heritage is fully compatible with contemporary residential comfort standards. Contact Nosolo Design for your project.