Banc de Sang i Teixits

Barcelona's blood and tissue bank, the Banc de Sang i Teixits (BST), is at the cutting edge of diagnostic immunology and the development of advanced therapies. It supplies blood to all the public and private hospitals and clinics in Catalonia. It is also the headquarters of the human tissue bank, the Banc de Teixits Humans, and the cord blood bank, the Banc de Sang de Cordó Umbilical.

It currently provides blood to a population of more than eight million people and is part of the medical cluster in the 22@ district, where most of Barcelona's sustainable buildings are located.

The headquarters of the Banc de Sang i Teixits have been located in the Poblenou district since 2010. The building is architecturally simple and is particularly noted for its use of new technologies to keep energy consumption to a minimum.

Its commitment to urban sustainability centres on optimising natural light. The window glass lets in 50% of the sunlight, but just 30% of the heat. Moreover, its blinds have mirrored slats that reflect light into the building, reducing artificial light by 30% and saving a large amount of energy.

The structure of the building consists of a concrete façade and four interior clusters, where the main access points and services are located. It has no interior columns, meaning that the spaces are open plan and flexible.

The thick walls and heat insulation keep the building cool. The building also has natural free-cooling systems that use outdoor air. The use of heat exchangers makes it possible to recover 100% of the heat emanating from the building. This brings savings in energy consumption of 72.12% and a reduction in CO₂ emissions equivalent to 669 houses.

There is no doubt that the Banc de Sang i Teixits is one of the pioneering buildings in sustainability, technological innovation and strategies to tackle climate change. This makes it a highly recommended place to visit on Barcelona's Sustainable Buildings Trail.