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| Standard specification office buildings have acres
of deep-plan office floor space with year round air conditioning
and minimal access to natural light. Within this framework the
working environment is so closely controlled that all external,
modulation influences are neutralised. Complex systems are required
to exercise this degree of environmental control, systems that
consume large amounts of energy. The Green Building is an experiment
in reversing this tendency: an attempt to attain ‘green
goals’ without primitive architecture. |
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| The Green Building is an asymmetrical envelope
supported by a tripod megastructure, which clears the site for
use as public open space. Wind loads are resisted directly by
the bending strength of the tripod legs, which are triangulated
below ground level and anchored to large-diameter piles. Ambient
air is drawn into the building at the base of the envelope which
is raised 17m above ground level to reduce the ingestion of
pollutants. As it warms, this air rises between the controllable
inner skin of the building by stack effect, finally exhausting
through louvers at its apex. |
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| In addition to its ambient energy system, the
fully glazed building makes maximum use of daylighting to reduce
energy consumption. Solar glare and heat gain within the offices
can be controlled by fabric blinds incorporated into the buildings
inner skin. This skin also contains flexible plastic mirrors
designed to deflect daylight into the innermost office spaces
along a high-level horizontal path that is intercepted by ceiling
mounted diffusers where necessary. |
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| Structural + Services Engineer |
Arup |
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