Winning design announced for the Spanish DeCO2 timber demonstrator

The DeCO2 project has taken an important step forward in Spain with the announcement of the winning design for the innovative timber structure that will host the project’s Spanish demonstrator. 

The Spanish demo site of DeCO2 aims to create an experimental timber structure, conceived as a modular supporting frame, where different innovative construction technologies developed by the project’s technological partners will be installed, tested and monitored. This space will enable the real-life assessment of low-carbon, reusable and energy-efficient solutions, contributing to the decarbonisation of the construction sector. 

Collaboration with the Maderamen Chair 

The design of the demonstrator has been developed in collaboration with the Maderamen Chair at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). The initiative was integrated into the optional Master’s course “Innovation in Timber Structures for the Ecological Transition in Architecture” during the 2025–2026 academic year. 

Within this academic framework, an academic design competition was launched to select a timber prototype for the vertical extension of an existing building on the UPV campus, which will serve as the basis for the Spanish DeCO2 demonstrator. Five student teams took part in the competition, presenting original proposals that were assessed according to criteria such as technical quality, innovation, constructability, sustainability and material efficiency. 

The winning Design: "3X3 TIMBER" 

Following a thorough evaluation process, a jury composed of representatives from the Regional Government of Valencia's Housing Department, the architecture firm responsible for the project execution, the Instituto Valenciano de la Edificación (IVE) and the Maderamen Chair selected the winning proposal. 

The award was granted to "3X3 TIMBER " in recognition of its strong technical and conceptual quality, its close alignment with the objectives of the DeCO2 project, and its potential as an experimental infrastructure for testing innovative construction solutions.  

Developed by a team of five Architecture Master’s students, the winning design proposes a modular timber structure characterised by: 

• A modular configuration, composed of three interconnected cubic modules that create a flexible and adaptable testing space. 

• A strong focus on sustainability, prioritising dry construction systems, efficient use of materials, and a design that is demountable and reusable, in line with circular economy principles and the emissions reduction goals of the DeCO2 project. 

• An adaptive design approach, conceived to be built on top of an existing building, demonstrating the feasibility and potential of timber-based vertical extensions. 

  
  

The jury highlighted the proposal’s technical robustness, level of innovation, constructive feasibility and material efficiency, as well as the clarity and quality of its documentation and presentation. Overall, the design was praised for its ability to respond effectively to the constraints of the existing building while fully addressing the objectives of the DeCO2 project. 

What happens next? 

In the coming weeks, the winning proposal will be further developed and prepared for construction. The prototype will be built during the IV Design & Build workshop, organised by the Maderamen Chair in February 2026, and will later be installed in its final location, operating as a living lab for the testing and monitoring of innovative construction solutions. 

Through this demo site, the DeCO2 project strengthens its commitment to sustainable renovation, timber innovation, and collaboration between public institutions, academia and the technology sector, paving the way towards a more decarbonised built environment.