The Mercedes-EQ Lounge is a 100% sustainable place located in Porto de Abrigo (Nazaré). Designed by Mercedes-Benz and using recycled and reused materials, this place aims, in addition to strengthening the company’s link to the area of sports, namely surf (of which it has been a supporter), to give greater visibility to its sustainability strategy, which goes beyond zero-emission cars.
Without major financial investments, the Mercedes-EQ Lounge results from the recovery of an old building, which makes it a circular economy example, with the German company declaring that "recycle and reuse were keywords" used throughout "the whole process of selection of materials needed for the restoration of the building and its decoration".
Recycle and reuse
Walls, benches, tables, gardens, doors, and windows, everything was built using recycled materials sourced from the original construction, which dates back to the beginning of the last century, or from the fishing community.
In addition, Mercedes-Benz received valuable tips from the local population regarding discarded materials and objects that were later reused in the EQ Lounge, such as wood from boats, the remains of nautical cables that washed ashore, as well as wood from sustainable forests, cork stoppers, and even old belts.
Energy Efficiency
The energy component also privileges the use of renewable energies. Hot water is also provided by photovoltaic panels. The interior is heated by a salamander and the water supply to the technical areas and for irrigation comes from the reuse of rainwater.
The whole area is prepared so that it will be possible (in a later stage) to install a biological treatment station for grey waters produced by the building, which need to be treated for future reuse.
CO2-neutrality (Neutrality of CO2 emissions)
The transition to a carbon-neutral economy is a major concern for Mercedes-Benz. As a brand image of Mercedes-EQ, responsible for electric models, charging solutions for this type of vehicles could not be lacking in space. Thus, the Mercedes-EQ Lounge has four charging stations for electric cars.
The electric circuit in the Mercedes-EQ Lounge comes from the reuse of four battery modules from one of the first units of the 100% electric Mercedes-Benz B-Class, which now store the energy captured by photovoltaic panels. This energy storage system will power the entire building, including indoor and outdoor lighting. On non-use days, the energy generated is stored for later use. This is also where energy is generated for one of the charging stations for the electric cars. The remaining three points are independent.
Multifunctional space
The main idea is that the Mercedes-EQ Lounge can be a place for debate, conversation, and experience, where topics such as ocean protection, reuse of electric batteries, circular economy and community education for sustainable development are addressed. For the German brand's dealer network, it will also serve as a meeting point for Mercedes-Benz experiences. It will host exclusive events with a capacity of up to 50 people inside and 500 people outside. And it will also have several activities linked to Nazaré and names like Garret McNamara. Besides the experience in a Sprum boat (water drift) and in a water motorcycle with surfers, there are also quad tracks in the dunes.
With no prospects of replicating this concept in other parts of the country, this space in Nazaré is seen as a clear example of the ideal of sustainability, surrounded by the privileged landscape of this village, whose great attributes are the mild climate, the excellent natural light, the welcoming people and the interesting fishing traditions.