Swimming Pool in Xàbia | Milena Villalba

The new Heated Swimming Pool in Jávea, certified BREEAM (one star), has been conceived as a high-quality sports and recreational facility for residents and visitors, and at the same time as a clear statement of commitment to the environment and to responsible architecture—an architecture capable of anticipating the needs of the 21st century. The project understands the pool not merely as a technical container, but as a public amenity where comfort, health, and sustainability become tangible decisions: how the building is placed on site, how it is constructed, how it consumes energy and water, and how it welcomes the community in everyday use.

Designed to NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) standards, the facility drastically reduces energy demand through a combination of passive strategies, a high- performance thermal envelope, and efficient HVAC, dehumidification, and ventilation systems. A heated pool requires precise control of temperature and humidity to ensure user well-being and long-term durability; for this reason, the design prioritizes environmental stability with solutions that minimize heat loss, prevent condensation, and make the most of available energy. In parallel, the integration of renewable energy covers a significant share of the building’s needs in a clean way, reducing its carbon footprint and lowering operational costs over the long term. Here, efficiency is not treated as an add-on, but as an inherent architectural quality.

The relationship with the site is another core pillar of the proposal. The building’s scale and massing have been carefully studied to integrate harmoniously into Jávea’s urban and landscape context, avoiding unnecessary visual impact and establishing a balanced relationship with public space. The layout supports clear routes, legible entrances, and an approachable civic presence: the building is conceived as an open, recognizable, and welcoming facility that can activate daily life without imposing on its surroundings. This attitude is reinforced through an efficient functional organization, separating flows, facilitating management, and enabling flexible use by different user groups.

Materiality plays an essential role both environmentally and experientially. The project prioritizes durable, low-maintenance, and potentially recyclable materials, capable of withstanding the demands of a humid, high-use environment. Ceramic finishes, due to their robustness and suitability for public buildings, are used as a solution that combines longevity, ease of cleaning, and a reduced environmental footprint. Textures, colors, and finishes are selected to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, moving away from the coldness often associated with sports facilities. The result is an interior that conveys care and well-being, where technical requirements are integrated into a calm, contemporary identity.

The building is also conceived through a lens of responsible water management, especially relevant in aquatic facilities. Optimizing consumption, improving treatment efficiency, and reducing losses are part of a broader sustainability strategy that treats the water cycle as a resource to be protected. Indoor air quality is addressed with equal rigor: properly sized ventilation, smart control, and hygrothermal comfort criteria contribute to a healthier experience for both users and staff.

All architectural strategies place people at the center. From natural lighting, which improves orientation and creates a more pleasant spatial perception, to glare control and balanced atmospheres, every decision aims to enhance the user experience. Comfort is not limited to temperature: it also includes acoustics, circulation, clear access points, intuitive changing-room layouts, and ease of use. Universal accessibility is assumed as a fundamental condition: step-free entrances, continuous routes, inclusive spaces, and solutions that ensure everyone, regardless of age or ability, can enjoy the facility with autonomy and safety.

The heated pool is also envisioned as a social space: a place where sport, health, and community life meet. Architecture supports this civic dimension with comfortable waiting areas, intuitive circulation, and an organization that accommodates different rhythms of use. Technology, rather than taking center stage, operates as a quiet backbone: monitoring and control systems help manage the building efficiently, optimizing consumption and maintaining optimal conditions without additional effort.
Overall, the Heated Swimming Pool in Jávea is not only a sports facility; it is a model for future public infrastructure. It demonstrates how energy efficiency, sustainability, spatial quality, and people-centered design can coexist within a single project to improve everyday life and the environment it belongs to—an building that not only performs well, but also communicates values of care, responsibility, and shared well-being.

Original Project: Raizde3

Modified Project and Construction Management: COR Architecture + Design