D·Origen Coffee Roasters in Barcelona: A sustainability-focused and flavorful oasis in a modernist landmark

Román Hernández
May 5
3 min read

Updated: May 23

Photo: D·Origen Coffee Roasters inside Casa Calvet Barcelona | Copyright: Lowpoly & D·Origen

Barcelona isn’t just a city famous for its iconic architecture and vibrant culture; in recent years, it has also become a benchmark for how sustainability can be woven into design, gastronomy, and urban life. In this evolving landscape, sustainability-focused cafés have grown from a trend into essential meeting points within the city’s creative and eco-conscious community.

More than places to enjoy coffee, these cafés have become hubs for designers, architects, and professionals seeking inspiration in spaces that value aesthetics and ecological awareness. Today, grabbing a cup of coffee in Barcelona can be a conscious act that reflects how we live, consume, and design the future.

Amid this transformation, D·Origen Coffee Roasters, located inside Antoni Gaudí’s modernist Casa Calvet, stands out as a beacon of innovation and sustainability.

A Circular Design Project: From Waste to Furniture

The space was redesigned by LOWPOLY, a studio specializing in generative design and large-scale 3D printing with biodegradable materials. Alongside designers Gianluca Pugliese, Arturo Tedeschi, and Ilaria Marzano, the team turned one of the most common café waste materials—used coffee grounds—into the raw material for their interior furniture.

The material known as LOWIMPACT is a bio-composite made from recycled coffee grounds and PLA (polylactic acid), a plant-based polymer derived from corn. It’s 98% organic, petroleum-free, compostable, and designed to be long-lasting without leaving a trace. Using 3D printing technology, the space’s tables, stools, and light fixtures were created directly from generative models tailored to the layout.

This approach reduces the project’s environmental footprint and transforms each piece of furniture into a statement of circular economy and regenerative design.

Photo Copyright: Lowpoly & D·Origen

A Menu That Celebrates Origin and Seasonality

Sustainability at D·Origen goes beyond furniture. Their culinary offering is crafted to deliver a complete coffee-centered experience. The menu features single-origin specialty coffees, chosen for their traceability and sensory profiles, served using methods like V60, Chemex, or espresso—depending on your taste.

Signature drinks include natural, creative blends like Pumpkin Foam Cold Brew, Red Hot Chili Chocolate, and the classic Flat White with plant-based milk options.

The food menu is equally thoughtful: handmade pastries, sourdough toast with seasonal ingredients, gluten-free options, and vegan-friendly dishes—all designed to accompany and enhance the coffee experience in a nourishing, intentional way.

A Modernist Treasure with a Contemporary Vision

The café is located inside Casa Calvet, one of Antoni Gaudí’s lesser-known but no less intriguing buildings. Built between 1898 and 1900 as a private residence and textile office, its symmetrical and elegant façade contrasts with Gaudí’s flamboyant designs. Yet, it features key elements of his style: ornamental ironwork, organic forms, and a deep connection with nature.

Placing a contemporary, sustainable coffee space inside such a historic site is no coincidence. It celebrates how heritage, technology, and ecology coexist—offering a sensory and reflective experience.

An Internationally Recognized Café

In February 2025, D·Origen Coffee Roasters was featured on the list of the 100 Best Coffee Shops in the World for its top-tier coffee and holistic focus on design, sustainability, and innovation.

Behind the project is Michael Uhlig, CEO of D·Origen, who has led the brand with a clear vision: to offer exceptional, ethical coffee with a positive impact. The company, which roasts its own beans, has been recognized multiple times as Spain’s best specialty coffee roaster.

You’re visiting Barcelona?

Stop by D·Origen Coffee Roasters and discover a new way to experience coffee—conscious, grounded in its environment, and created for those who seek more than just a cup.

Before you go, at The Greener Space, we celebrate places like this, where design, sustainability, and gastronomy intersect. That’s why we invite you to keep exploring inspiring spaces, innovative technologies, and impactful projects through our website and social media channels.