Not settling for mere zero-energy, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill’s Masdar Headquarters are setting new design standards for green building, with their scheme that generates more energy than it consumes. The Masdar Headquarters building outside of Abu Dhabi is also the first building in history to generate power for its own assembly, using a solar roof pier that will be built first to power the rest of the construction.
The building’s sustainability gave it the edge to beat 159 others in the international design competition. The $300 million, 1.4 million square foot headquarters will serve as the stunning centerpiece of the super-green, car-free Norman Foster-designed Masdar City, the $22 billion development just outside Abu Dhabi.
The building’s aggressive approach to sustainability enables it to offer the lowest energy consumption per square meter for its class, one of the world’s largest integrated photovoltaic systems and the world’s largest solar thermal driven cooling and dehumidification system. The complex will utilize sustainable materials and feature integrated wind turbines, outdoor air quality monitors. Compared with typical mixed-use buildings of the same size, the Headquarters will consume 70 percent less water.
In addition to serving as the Masdar Headquarters, the building will accommodate private residences and ‘early bird’ businesses starting up in the city. The Masdar development will be constructed over seven phases and is due to be completed by 2016. Masdar’s headquarters is part of phase one and will be completed by the end of 2010. We can’t wait to see this futuristic scheme come to life!
+ Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
That space under the Oculus is pretty amazing. Who wouldn’t want to have a beautiful interior pond / lake in the buildilng they work at? I wonder how the form was specifically decided upon and if it in turn helps improve the sustainable properties of the building? For example air-flow and passive solar…
[...] designed to produce more energy than it consumes. [...]
Wow, that’s a cool looking building. And the fact that it’s greenish only makes it cooler. Great building. Should be a great showcase.
Actually, it’s not the world’s first positive energy building (that would be a power station!) but the world’s first ‘positive energy large scale mixed use building.’
[...] Via Inhabitat [...]
the powerhouses of oil are going solar. no bigger message than this.
[...] World’s First Positive Energy Building in Masdar, Abu Dhabi Not settling for mere zero-energy, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill are building an office that generates more energy than it consumes. The Masdar HQ is also the first building in history to generate power for its own assembly, using a solar roof pier that will (tags: architecture energy environment solar eco green) [...]
[...] While most green buildings strive to reduce or supplement their power consumption, there has yet to be a building that actually produces more energy than it consumes. Enter the The Masdar Headquarters building outside of Abu Dhabi — the world’s first positive energy building. Even the construction will be eco-friendly, as the first thing to be built will be a solar pier that will provide power for the rest of the assembly. The $300 million, 1.4 million square foot architectural wonder will be the centerpiece of the sustainable, car-free Norman Foster-designed Masdar City, a $22 billion development just outside Abu Dhabi. Absolutely incredible. Inhabitat shares some additional details: [...]
It certainly looks amazing, but truly sustainable … I suspect not.
As translucency and thermal insulation don’t really mix very well I hope this doesn’t turn out to be the blueprint for the worlds largest oven !
[...] Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture has won an international competition to design the Masdar Headquarters, the world’s first positive energy building. The building is designed to generate power for its own assembly, meaning it will create more energy than it consumes. The project is expected to cost $300 million, and it will form an impressive center piece to Masdar City, which will be a $22 billion development stretching out beyond Abu Dhabi. [Inhabitat] [...]
I have to take issue with statement, “the first building in history to generate power for its own assembly, using a solar roof pier that will be built first to power the rest of the construction.” This is simply not true. Out here in New Mexico we’ve been building that way for decades. I have to credit Mike Reynolds (http://www.earthship.net/) with being an early pioneer and continuing practitioner of this method.
[...] Fonte: Inhabitat.com [...]
[...] Inhabitat » World’s First Positive Energy Building in Masdar, Abu Dhabi [...]
Has anybody recognized, that this building is an ugly and really stupid copy of Coop Himmelb(l)au’s BMW in Munich? Thats really ashame.
[...] via [Inhabitat] [...]
Spending millions and millions in photovoltaic roof to cool a glassbox buiding comming from 50′s international style way of doing architecture in desert: Sorry, it’s no way sustainability!