Sant Bartomeu del Grau | Autumn 2016 — Master's degree in Architecture Vallès School of Architecture. ETSAV — UPC. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

The town of Sant Bartomeu del Grau (SBG) is located in the limit between the Lluçanès and the Plana de Vic, occupies a surface of 34,4km2, forms part of the comarca d’Osona and has an approximate population of 900 inhabitants.

SBG housed the factory of the company “Hilado y Tejidos Puigneró S.A” that closed its doors in 2003 leaving an enormous (90.000 m2) industrial surface abandoned in the center of the village, in addition to social and economic repercussions (descent of the population, high rates of unemployment, and an important decrease of the economic activity).

On the other hand, the town has elements of great value as the natural environment and the architectural heritage (numerous farms disseminated on the territory and linked by a network of paths). Besides, the location of the town (high heights) permits that, from several points of the village, we can achieve wide and extensive panoramic views.

So we found ourselves with a village in a situation of duality: on the one hand they drag a crisis that has made the town turn into a “dormitory town” but on other hand we are talking about a village with a great territorial potential.