Casa dels Bous/

El fabricante de espheras

Spain

Location(City/Country):

Valencia / Spain

Tipology:

Restoration Public buildings & Infrastructure

Year (Design/Construction):

2019 / 2023

Area (Net/Gross):

- / -

Operational Carbon emissions (B6) kgCO2e/m2/y:

Embodied Carbon emissions (A1-A3) kgCO2e/m2:

Instead of demolition and reconstruction, the project focuses on restoring and preserving the original building. This approach minimises environmental impact by reducing waste generation and the need for new construction materials.
The original structure incorporates rodeno stone and brick pillars, materials with a lower carbon footprint compared to modern alternatives transported from afar. Their durability also prevents the need for frequent replacements.
The original design of the building supports natural ventilation strategies and passive thermal regulation. The arrangement of its volumes and the choice of materials, such as rodeno stone, contribute to greater thermal inertia, reducing the need for mechanical climate control systems and lowering energy consumption.

Located in the maritime district of Cabanyal, Valencia, the Casa dels Bous is a late 19th-century
building that serves as a unique testament to the architectural heritage associated with the city ’s fishing
and port activities. Built in 1895 by the Marina Auxiliante society, this structure was originally designed
to shelter the oxen used for launching and beaching boats, as well as for rescue operations in the event
of shipwrecks.

From an architectural perspective, the Casa dels Bous consists of two structurally distinct yet spatially
interconnected volumes. The first, facing Eugenia Viñes Street, is the taller of the two and features a
hipped roof. The second, accessed from Astilleros Street, has a gabled roof and a lower height, creating
a volumetric articulation that emphasizes the functional hierarchy of the complex. With a total surface
area of 806 m2, the building is characterized by the use of rodeno stone and brick pillars, traditional
materials that reinforce its structural solidity.

One of the most distinctive ornamental elements of the building is the set of corbels beneath the balcony on the eastern façade, sculpted with representations of ox heads attributed to Mariano Benlliure.

Additionally, the southern façade features a sundial inscribed with the year of the building’s completion
(1895). The main façade, facing Tenyidors Street, may have once housed a second sundial, now possibly
concealed beneath layers of paint.

The functional evolution of the Casa dels Bous has been shaped by changes in maritime activity. From
the 1930s onward, as oxen were no longer used for trawling, the building was repurposed for various
uses, serving as a warehouse, cooperative, and headquarters for fishing guilds. During the 1990s, it
underwent significant alterations when it was leased to a mechanical manufacturing company, which led to the modification of several original elements, including the bricking up of openings on the western façade and the installation of an overhead crane structure in the front courtyard.

Since 2001, the Casa dels Bous has been included in the Special Protection and Interior Reform Plan
(PEPRI) of the Cabanyal, granting it environmental protection to ensure its preservation as part of the
city’s architectural heritage. The recent intervention in the building has enabled its restoration and
enhancement, safeguarding its original features and significance within the urban fabric of the
Cabanyal.

With the completion of this project, the aim is to highlight the historical and architectural value of the
Casa dels Bous as an example of maritime industrial architecture in Valencia, promoting its recognition
and preservation within the cultural landscape of the Valencian coastline.