Taiwan recently broke ground on a trio of interconnected energy-efficient skyscrapers topped with lush rooftop gardens. Designed by Los Angeles-based NBBJ Architects in collaboration with Fei & Cheng Associates, the Chinatrust Bank Headquarters will take advantage of a host of green building strategies geared towards reducing energy consumption and optimizing passive heating and cooling. The complex is expected to receive the Taiwanese equivalent of a LEED Gold rating upon its completion in 2012.

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Inspired by principles of informal connections and communication, the 2.5 million square-foot Chinatrust complex comprises three high-rises: a 30-story headquarter building, a 21 story office, and a 10 story hotel. A community-centered retail base will occupy the lower 4 levels, and an open-air central plaza will unite all of the spaces into one cohesive unit.

NBBJ Architects paid careful attention to the project’s site and climate to optimize each building’s passive heating and cooling properties. The towers feature vertical atriums and cutting-edge facades that are optimized to channel daylight throughout the interior spaces. The top of each skyscraper will feature a rooftop garden that helps to insulate the interiors, reduce rainwater runoff, and mitigate the urban heat island effect.

+ NBBJ Architects

Via Bustler and Arch Daily