Rainbow Eco Office

Hamburg’s Office for Urban Development and the Environment (BSU) recently unveiled plans for a brand new eye-catching and energy-efficient office that is sure to promote their green agenda. Designed by Sauerbruch Hutton, the colorful prismatic building will combine both passive and active measures to bring the structure to the forefront of energy-efficient design in 2013.

The BSU will consist of one high-rise and two wing buildings, and will feature exhibition spaces, restaurants, a library, a conference center, an amphitheater and more. Given the project’s diverse range of programming, Sauerbruch Hutton sought to reduce the building’s energy consumption as much as possible. Their design distributes both low- and high-tech green building strategies over seven separate “houses” which will be connected via an access “road” lit with natural light.

The houses have been arranged so that each has an open staircase atrium, which provides for efficient horizontal and vertical circulation and well-distributed natural light and cross-ventilation in the interior spaces. Additionally, the building’s facades feature enhanced thermal insulation, are designed to be transparent, and provide protection from intense sunlight. The compact building volume utilizes renewable resources such as sun-powered heating, geothermal energy, photovoltaic panels, and a gas-powered heat and power unit.

Sauerbruch Hutton notes that “the design of the building’s spaces and surfaces supports the quantitatively measurable comfort with an architectural and environmental quality that is appropriate for the agenda of sustainability.” We note that there’s nothing like a splash of every color in the rainbow to brighten up a building!

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