The Valencian engineering firm Vielca Ingenieros has been selected to design the municipal public spaces of Madrid. Together with three other Madrid engineering companies, he will draft over the next three years all the projects of parks, gardens and roads that are being undertaken in the capital.
A total of 29 companies from all over Spain submitted to the public tender, convened by the City of Madrid. Four of them have been selected and will be responsible for drafting all construction projects, including solution studies.
As Vicente Candela, CEO of Vielca Ingenieros, explains, “there are a total of 660 projects, of which Vielca will address about 150 with an estimated value of five million euros. Projects range from redeveloping neighbourhoods and districts to pedestrianizing areas, remodeling existing gardens or designing new parks and gardens.”
The marco-agreement with the City of Madrid was signed at the beginning of August, and work is scheduled to begin in September with the holding of a first coordination meeting. The deadline for completing the designs is two years, with an additional one year extension. It is the time that the City of Madrid has set to have all these projects ready, with the aim of reversing the current state of open public spaces and achieving a rejuvenated, accessible and pleasant city.
A considerable volume
According to Candela, “this is a very large amount of work. Designing 150 projects in three years is a challenge for any company in Spain. Besides, getting to work in Spain’s capital is not easy. The work can range from redesigning the most emblematic parks and gardens of the city to designing a specific performance for Puerta del Sol or in a neighborhood outside Madrid. From a simple paving of streets to the remodeling of Retiro Park.”
A total of fifteen technicians including engineers, architects, surveyors and draftsmen form the permanent team of Vielca that will participate in these projects. They will work under the BIM methodology, software from Anglo-Saxon countries created to work as a team and in real time. “Each neighbourhood has different activities and needs, and you have to be able to respond successfully to expectations. The design of public areas is vital to make the circulation of Madrid residents more pleasant and to generate tourist attraction,” says Candela.
Projects in public buildings
In addition to Lot 2, which includes the projects of actions to be addressed in public spaces such as parks, gardens or avenues, the Madrid City Council has also tendered another lot (Lot 1), similar to the previous one but aimed at actions in public buildings. Valencian engineering has also been proposed for the award of this second lot, which would include its participation in another 130 projects.