external fixtures


High-tech to low-tech


The construction and thermal management of buildings still consumes the most energy, far exceed- ing manufacturing, air traffic or cars. But it is contemporary architecture that is called upon to provide answers by producing intelligent designs, which confront the challenges of the future – saving energy,


reducing CO2 emissions and preserving resources. With a new-build office for its Dutch subsidiary at Nijverdal, Holland, Solarlux is already meeting these requirements with an innovative down- sizing concept.


encompassed by a frameless floor to ceiling slide- and-turn-system, which forms an un-insulated glazed shell. The double façade creates an accessible façade corridor on three sides. The primary function of the outer glass façade is to provide protection from the elements, while the inner façade is designed as a thermal barrier between indoors and outdoors. Both façades can be opened independently to varying degrees, allowing staff to determine their preferred ambient room temperature manually.


tity and the company headquarters in Bissendorf, as well as reflecting the firm’s res-ponsibility towards the environment. Architect Wolfgang Herich’s main design aims were energy efficiency, maximising independent energy supply and the use of as little technical climate control and artificial lighting as pos- sible. The result is a development that expresses the company’s corp-orate identity and philosophy in stun- ning arch-itectural style: transparent, open, encour- aging communication, and with a climate management system designed for sustainability.


T


The façade A thermally insulated façade of folding wood and glass doors, with a panel height of 3 metres, envelopes the office space. In turn this façade is


he brief was to present new energy saving per- spectives while providing a link between the new building, the company’s corp-orate iden-


Interactive building, swapping high-tech for low-tech The building has no need for a mechanical ventilation system. Options range from a completely closed façade to partial opening variations, to working in the open air. The double folding façade aims to moti- vate users to interact with their premises. The opportu- nity for personal preferences, natural light, and the interrela- tion created with the world outside when the façade is open enhances employee well-being and has a positive influence on productivity.


Saving energy as a building concept The façade concept ensures that the solar warmth generated between the two façades is used to heat the rooms in winter. In summer, excess heat is expelled by opening the outer façade.


Structural features enhance the natural flow of air.


Two monopitch roofs have been created above the two central atria. Natural wind movement around the building leads to an active exchange of air where the overhang creates a vacuum, which draws air out of the atria while fresh air flows in through open windows in the façade. This principle is especially advantageous in winter since it allows the solar gain from the façade to be used as heating. The low-tech manually controlled façade incurs far fewer mainte- nance and operating costs than a conventional, high- tech, ventilation system. The building’s thermal management concept is


‘a development that


expresses the company’s corporate identity and philosophy in stunning architecture style’


based almost entirely on renewable sources of energy. A geothermal plant produces water at a con- stant 15°C all year round. In addition, the waste heat from the server room is fed into the low-temperature heating system, which flows through all the ceilings and floors. This allows all surfaces of the building to emit a pleasant level of radiant heat in winter and to cool all solid structural elements down in summer, and thus achieving a significantly better


degree of thermal comfort. With no ventilation or air-conditioning system


installation costs or space requirements, the result is a considerable reduction in energy consumption and


CO2 emissions. A share of the electricity require- ments is provided by a photovoltaic system also mounted onto the atria roofs.


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