The striking Hypo Alpe-Adria Bank in Udine, Italy may feature a tilting design reminiscent of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but you can be certain that Morphosis Architects didn't channel the Pisa Tower's architect. Normally when architects employ solar passive design, they build shading devices into the structure to protect the south-facing windows - but not Morphosis. For the Hypo Alpe-Adria Bank, they tilted the entire building 14 degrees to the south so that the upper floors shade the lower floors. In addition to the dramatic tilt, the office features many energy-efficient building strategies that contribute to a happy and healthy working space.
[...] strips that are stacked to create strategic voids and shared elevated gardens. The strips feature narrow floorplans that allow for maximum flexibility in office layout and permit daylight to suffuse the interior [...]
[...] Tocco may be a model of small town renewable energy, Italy has a long way to go. Only 7% of the country’s power comes from renewables — a far cry from Tocco’s renewable [...]