The architects have joined the ranks of their colleagues trying to prove that a high-rise building can be “green”: a building with a height of 92 meters, according to its characteristics, can be ranked among the most environmentally friendly in the EU.
The complex is intended for the Education Agency (more precisely, its department dealing with student loans) and the Tax Office. In total, 2,500 employees will be accommodated there, for whom 1,500 parking spaces have been allocated for bicycles and a total of 675 for cars. The external appearance of the administrative building (this was especially insisted by the representatives of the tax service) is deliberately softened: this is facilitated by its curvilinear outlines and the white color of the sun-protection "fins" covering the facades. At the same time, the external solution of the construction was not a priority: the customer, the National Construction Service, first of all strived for resource efficiency and "sustainability" of the project, so from the very beginning, in addition to architects, lawyers, financiers, technicians and other narrow specialists worked on it. … Their task was to ensure the optimal use and functioning of the building for at least 20 years.
For this, in particular, its possible future transformation into a residential building is envisaged (therefore, a module of 1.2 m was used, and not 1.8 m). Also, everything is thought out for the comfort of the officials working there: soft lines of the plan, the absence of straight corridors ending in a dead end, the visual connection of both the premises with each other and the interior with the external space allow employees to take "endless walks" through the building where a kind of "landscape" has been created. … The surroundings of the building are also quite pleasant: it is located in a wooded area where you can find rare species of flora and fauna (therefore, its environmental friendliness was extremely important). A public park will be created directly around the building by 2013; a pavilion for commercial needs will also be built there, which will partially recoup the construction.
What are the “green” features that make the project unique? First, by reducing the ceiling height by 30 cm (it is 3.3 m), the height of the entire building has been reduced by 7.5 m, which has reduced its environmental impact and saved materials. The “fins” covering the facades protect them from the sun, regulate the interaction of the building with the winds (very strong at the level of the upper tiers), but do not interfere with the natural light of the interior: all together significantly reduces energy costs. Also used is an innovative natural ventilation system and heat storage scheme; in addition, each employee can decide what air temperature and ventilation strength he needs at the moment, and everyone has access to fresh air.
N. F.
