Green Architecture can also be Red

Transcription

1 Green Architecture can also be Red A new office building on the campus of the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg was built with the objective of being as energy efficient as possible. This ambitious requirement was met by the Swedish architecture company Wingårdh, Gothenburg, managed by Gert Wingårdh, in the form of a very individual five floor round building with floor space of 5350 m 2. The colourful building, which is very different in design from its surrounding buildings was built on the former Lindholmen wharf in Gothenburg. Its unusual shape can be explained by the special design concept, the best energy efficiency possible, which everything else was secondary to. It also takes its name from its shape: "Kuggen" is the Swedish word for the teeth on a cog. Each tooth is the size of an optimum office space. Triangular, glazed ceramic areas in five different shades of red (predefined by the architects), two shades of green and one shade of black, special designs from MOEDING Keramikfassaden GmbH form, alongside the glazed areas, the shell of the building. The floors which taper downwards and which are on top of one another constitute the name of the building as a further technical impression. Symbiosis of Technology and Design Quality The cylindrical building, in the middle of an area made up of primarily linear buildings, is an urban subject which has its roots in Italian Renaissance. Here in Gothenburg too, the central positioning of the building means that it has to connect with its surroundings and to stimulate the functions of the surrounding buildings with its structural assignment: an inspiring contact between the university, research and technical entrepreneurial spirit. "Kuggen" is positioned like a colourful flower amongst grey leaves. At the same time its multi-faceted facade reacts to the environmental climate as a

2 result of its exposed position near to the port. The glazed, colourful brick elements are impressive thanks to the architect-specific character of the workmanship as a curtain shingle facade, their variety of shapes, the individual character of the terracotta in interaction with colourful glazes, the subtly composed variations between the basic colours red and green and, not least, the surface which also alludes to touch. Simultaneously, the message of this building also says a great deal for engineering engineering and ideas to minimise the energy requirement in the various segments. Shadowing: The upper floors jut out over the floors below them, more on the south side than on the north side. As a result of this, the building partially shades itself when the sun is high. In addition to this, the upper levels are protected from too much heat irradiation by a rotating screen, which follows the progression of the sun. This constantly changes the structure of the building, the exterior of which always looks different depending on the time of day and the angle as well as the sheen of the glazed bricks. Use of daylight: The dramatic appearance in the middle of what is a rather unexciting area in terms of architecture is firstly perceived to be a significant vitalisation. If you look at it more closely, however, the "Kuggen" reveals the idea behind its teeth. It is not so much the appearance of the building that is at the forefront here but rather the function of the triangular windows which are interlocked with the appropriate ceramic surfaces. In this way the total glass surface was able to be limited to a quarter of the exterior shell. This reduces heat loss and yet the triangular openings permit the optimum light incidence, which is greatest where it is most required namely on the ceiling, from where the light can infiltrate deeply into the core of the building. External heat losses: Out of all the geometric shapes, the sphere has the greatest volume with the smallest surface. The cylindrical "Kuggen" is an attempt at this ideal. This means that the key ratio of floor space to shell was optimised here in such a way that the global heat loss to the outside could be minimised and

3 this is also supported by the curtain, rear ventilated and insulated brick facade. Other energy saving measures are pursued by the "Kuggen" system inside the building. The intelligent switching systems for heating, ventilation and air conditioning also contribute to increased efficiency. Conservation of resources: In this regard, the architects focused mainly on the lifetime of the material, and particularly on the shell of the building, which is subject to wind and rain. A curtain facade was therefore selected and this is made from terracotta, a material which has proven its reliability for millennia and which is also 100 per cent recyclable in an environmentally friendly way and can be later used for lots of different purposes. The 582 mm high and 1955 mm wide, horizontally assembled Longoton ceramic bricks also have a specially developed, unleaded varnish in the eight different fire colours selected and this varnish complies with the high ecological requirement. Here in northern Sweden a building has therefore appeared which owes its expressive shape to various, ecological design approaches: energy efficiency, longevity, sustainability. The annual energy consumption for all the systems in this building is 55 kwh/m 2. Last but not least, the architects also took the health of the building users into consideration: the big building has just one lift; ascending is predominantly done using the stairs, and climbing the stairs improves circulation! 4658 characters

4 New office building in Gothenburg, Sweden The upper floors project out over the lower floors, and the building shades itself. A rotating light protection screen, which follows the course of the sun, shades the top floor. Photo: MOEDING Keramikfassaden GmbH (Lindman Photography, Stockholm)

5 New office building in Gothenburg, Sweden The floors get wider the higher up the building goes and it is this, as well as the triangular windows which interlock with a curtain brick facade, which gave the building the name "Kuggen" (cog). Photo: MOEDING Keramikfassaden GmbH (Lindman Photography, Stockholm)

6 New office building in Gothenburg, Sweden A curtain shingle facade made from glazed ceramic bricks forms, in combination with the triangular windows, the shell of the building. Photo: MOEDING Keramikfassaden GmbH (Lindman Photography, Stockholm)

7 New office building in Gothenburg, Sweden Nestled in the middle of a plaza surrounded by straight-lined buildings this building revives the Italian Renaissance. The walkways into and out of the building emphasise its connecting function. Photo: MOEDING Keramikfassaden GmbH (Lindman Photography, Stockholm)

8 New office building in Gothenburg, Sweden The curtain brick facade is made up of five red colours and two green colours, all from unleaded varnishes, which meet the high ecological demands of the architects. The bricks were delivered to the site having been pre-cut by the manufacturer. Photo: MOEDING Keramikfassaden GmbH (Lindman Photography, Stockholm)

9 New office building in Gothenburg, Sweden The triangular windows allow for excellent exploitation of daylight because the majority of the light incidence happens at ceiling height, i.e. where the light can penetrate furthest into the core of the building. Photo: MOEDING Keramikfassaden GmbH (Lindman Photography, Stockholm)

10 Colours New office building in Gothenburg, Sweden Architects:: Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB Gothenburg, Sweden

11 Ground floor First floor Fourth floor Floor plans New office building in Gothenburg, Sweden

12 West elevation New office building in Gothenburg, Sweden

13 Section New office building in Gothenburg, Sweden Architects:Wingårdh Arkitektkontor AB Gothenburg, Sweden

14 Section of building Section of fourth floor Sectio Facade sections New office building in Gothenburg, Sweden