We are now witnessing a trend set by the post-covid era - the emergence of entirely new places to live, a prime example of which is the emergence of “smart cities”. Aster District is just such an area, located close to Madrid - in San Rafael, in the province of Segovia. According to the plans, 5,000 houses, a shopping centre and a medical centre will be built here.
Each house will be designed for two apartments and will be built on a plot ranging from 200 to 500 square meters. The plots’ size and location make the block potentially attractive for families who are just considering buying a first or, at most, a second home. The size of the objects varies from 85 sq.m. for a house with two bedrooms up to 130 sq.m. for a house with four bedrooms.
The area was designed by Morph Estudio, a team of over 30 people led by architects Miguel Pradillo and Cesar Frias. The organisation has established itself as reliable and financially stable, thanks to the experience of dozens of successful projects throughout Spain and especially in Madrid.
For the district’s construction, a loan of 50 million euros was attracted from the British fund RoundShield, the total assets of approximately 2.5 billion euros. San Rafael already has exciting properties such as a hotel and a sports complex with golf courses, potentially attracting buyers to the area.
Technology city
Why is Aster District a smart city? Evidence of the technological nature of Aster District is the joint development and research of Telefónica España and Aster concerning San Rafael.
Among the proposed solutions, we can highlight the work of equipping lighting with sensors to improve energy efficiency, intelligent irrigation of sites and waste management according to the BREEAM methodology - the reference certificate for construction within the framework of an ecological and conscious sustainable concept.
Other types of technological solutions related to digitalising public and sports spaces in a residential complex are also being discussed. Security technologies during the period of COVID activity and after it are considered, as well as issues related to the complex safety and property safety. On the community's territory, the use of environmentally friendly transport, electric vehicles will be encouraged, electric scooters will be rented - in a word, the experience of more advanced and environmentally friendly urban spaces will be broadly adopted. As you know, such a way of life provides residents with the best security conditions, improves the quality of life and positively affects the health and well-being of citizens.