The UIC Barcelona School of Architecture alum Juan Gaitán has been awarded with a runner-up prize in the Fourth National ITESAL Novel Architecture Awards. The award recognises the Final Bachelor's Degree Projects of Spain in the field of Architecture that best contribute to energy efficiency, and that stand out for their originality, design, functionality and constructive feasibility.

The "Tessel" project envisages a textile cloister designed to stimulate the renovation of the industrial estate of La Verneda, in the district of Sant Adrià del Besòs. The space represents the convergence between Catalan textile tradition and urban innovation. Its programme tackles important challenges in our society: it transforms used garments into reusable textiles, thus nurturing entrepreneurial initiatives, training and accessible workshops.

The complex includes two towers, where a façade offset system is implemented to optimise thermal performance which, together with different design proposals, achieves a significant reduction in CO2 emissions compared to conventional construction.