On the occasion of July 25, the feast of St. James, we bring to the blog, Casa de Peregrin, the project of a hostel on wheels for pilgrims in which two MULTIPANEL construction solutions have been used: MULTITHERM for the floor and MULTICOVER for the facade.
How did the idea for the project come about?
The idea originated with Blas, a religious man from Fuenterroble de Salvatierra (Salamanca), an enthusiast of horse-drawn two-wheeled carriages and carriages. Some time ago he thought of being able to accommodate pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago in a type of accommodation that was far from the conventional hostel. Thus, his project involved reusing two carriages and converting them into a mobile home.
This is where our protagonist comes into the picture: José María Moral, in his passage through the Camino de Santiago, has frequented the Blas hostel for several seasons. Taking this idea as a starting point, he has developed a new concept of a room based on the structure of a cart and its wheels.
What is the construction system?
The structure is made of welded steel profiles and is supported by eight self-adjusting points in height to overcome the unevenness of the terrain. A shelter cart was recovered and the axle of the wheels and the cart wheels themselves were used, on which the structure would be supported.
MULTICOVER, a lightweight panel composed of an extruded polystyrene core and thermo-lacquered aluminum sheets on both sides, was chosen for the façade. The panel rests on the steel base and is fastened with longitudinal profiles. According to José María, the panel’s light weight allows it to be handled and installed quickly and cleanly. Due to the white lacquer finish of the panel itself, no exterior treatment was necessary and no maintenance will be required in the future.
On the floor, MULTITHERM, a 1200×2600 mm sandwich panel with a high-density extruded polystyrene insulation core and two FBR-ECO panels, was installed. The panels rest directly on the steel structure, leaving a joint of approximately 1 cm, which is then filled with foam and silicone.
What were the execution times?
José María decided to choose a modular construction solution with the idea of minimizing on-site execution time and optimizing cost. And he can say that he succeeded: the panels were assembled by two people in approximately 3-4 days, taking into account the floor and ceiling fastenings and the custom cuts to cover the window openings and the spans.
In short, a new concept of room has been achieved which, being diaphanous in appearance, can be used for any purpose that may be required in the hostel in the future.
