Origami-Like Glass Building Has a Striking Folded Facade

The striking glass exterior of this Health Department building in Bilbao, Spain isn't just a pretty face(ade). <a href="http://www.coll-barreu-arquitectos.com/">Coll-Barreau Arquitectos</a> conceptualized the folded facade in response to the city's restrictive building code that requires stepped setbacks for all multistory buildings along its main streets. The result was this eye-catching hybrid double skin that boosts the structure's <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/energy">energy efficiency</a> in addition to making it stand out on the boulevard.

The folded <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/10/29/korean-tower-boasts-one-of-the-worlds-most-efficient-solar-facades/">facade </a>consists of two layers.

The outer one is a glazed skin made up of framed glass set in a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/03/15/oppenheim-unveils-exoskeletal-leed-campus-center-for-miami-dade/">tubular frame</a> while the inner layer is the building's windows.

There are two major benefits to the design: noise from the busy boulevard is noticeably reduced and solar heat gain is decreased via radiation reduction and a breathable wall system.

In addition to the increased <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/energy">energy efficiency</a> afforded by the double skin, the building holds meetings in a <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/daylighting">daylit</a>, two story atrium that opens to a roof deck.

To promote denser land use, the seven stories below roof contain office space and a subterranean three floor robotic parking lot.

An elevation plan of the headquarters.