Designed by Catalan architect Carme Pinos, the Torre Cube is a recent example of sustainable architecture. According to My Ninja, Please, the architect intends that the office building, located in Guadalajara, Mexico, rarely (maybe never) will need air conditioning because of how it incorporates natural ventiliation.
What are those crazy architects up to now?
Well, how about an office building without air conditioning? In Guadalajara, Mexico.
The office building has a double skin: An inner glass facade, a great deal of which consists of operable windows, with an outer facade constructed with horizontal wood slats.
Workers can step out on to a grating system and push/pull these panels into their desired positions, providing control over the level of day lighting in their specific work space.
Supposedly, the building can do without air conditioning because it is so well ventilated. There is an open central ‘atrium’ space that provides a nice draft and encourages cross-ventilation.
Or, how about a learning center with outdoor classrooms?
Westcave Preserve Environmental Learning Center was a 2006 green design winner. It has a terrace used for outdoor classrooms. Construction materials included recycled steel and a concrete floor made use of fly-ash recycled from a power plant to lessen the impact of the building’s construction on the environment. The center also uses:
- GSHP (Ground Source Heat Pump) to heat and cool the building,
- Solar energy
- Rainwater harvesting system.
Please note that while this was a civic project, the strategies to meet green design requirements also could be part of building your Green Dream Home. COTE (Committee on the Environment), which is part of the (AIA) American Institute of Architects, annually acknowledges a project that meets their criteria for sustainable architecture and Westcave Preserve Environmental Learning Center received their 2006 award.
The winner must demonstrate green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment. The following categories encompass the rigorous set of AIA requirements:
1. Sustainable Design Intent & Innovation
2. Regional / Community Design & Connectivity
3. Land Use & Site Ecology
4. Bio-climatic Design
5. Light & Air
6. Water Cycle
7. Energy Flows & Energy Future
8. Materials & Construction
9. Long Life, Loose Fit
10. Collective Wisdom & Feedback Loops.
3 Trackbacks
[...] larger set of considerations when devising strategies that protect and enhance the environment. As previously noted, an example of a larger set is that set by the Committee on the Environment of the AIA (American [...]
[...] Making buildings greener. You know the cheer: Insulate! Insulate! Insulate! And, when it comes to building there now exist standards for sustainable architecture. [...]
[...] BIPV atrium also can be an economical option. A shorter payback period is possible than for a facade, due primarily to the large material credit that reduces the PV atrium’s first [...]