Hailed by the Windwheel Corporation as “a true showcase for climate architecture,” the Dutch Windwheel is a unique building focused on being as sustainable as possible while still providing a complete mixed-use development for the city of Rotterdam.
The Windwheel will be outfitted with myriad advanced technological solutions focused on sustainability. An innovation consortium that includes Arup, the Royal BAM Group, Deltares, Dura Vermeer, ECN, Eneco, Evides, Siemens, SPIE and TNO is researching these technologies, some of which are in latter developmental stages, according to Windwheel Corporation.
Image courtesy of DoepelStrijkers.
Some of the technologies planned for the structure include a smart skin climate zone with natural ventilation and integrated greenery, wind energy and passive cooling, biogas production, a solar façade, and rain water collection. The building will be constructed with materials from the Rotterdam region and is designed to be dynamic and upgradeable after it has been built to stay at the forefront of sustainable innovation.
Image courtesy of DoepelStrijkers.
The sustainability of the Windwheel is obviously the most important aspect of the building, but that doesn’t mean everything else has been pushed aside. The Windwheel wants to become a mixed-use development and economic boon for the Dutch port city.
“Coaster cabins” will be used to move visitors to the top of the 174-meter-tall building. These coaster cabins will rotate around the building like a ferris wheel and use innovative lighting concepts and digital information layers that act as a virtual tour guide for visitors, pointing out what can be seen and providing information.
Image courtesy of DoepelStrijkers.
30,000 sm of commercial space, 14,000 sm of apartments, 14,000 sm of short stay space, a 5,700-sm hotel, and a 2,600-sm sky lobby and panorama restaurant will all be included. Visitors will enter the building via a 2,750-sm entrance lobby.
The Windwheel was originally unveiled in 2015, but this most recent look at the structure provides a more detailed look into the buildings sustainable and mixed-use features. Current projections put a completion date for the project between 2022 and 2025.
Image courtesy of DoepelStrijkers.
Related Stories
| Apr 13, 2011
Southern Illinois park pavilion earns LEED Platinum
Erin’s Pavilion, a welcome and visitors center at the 80-acre Edwin Watts Southwind Park in Springfield, Ill., earned LEED Platinum. The new 16,000-sf facility, a joint project between local firm Walton and Associates Architects and the sustainability consulting firm Vertegy, based in St. Louis, serves as a community center and special needs education center, and is named for Erin Elzea, who struggled with disabilities during her life.
| Apr 13, 2011
Virginia hospital’s prescription for green construction: LEED Gold
Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Harrisonburg, Va., is the commonwealth’s first inpatient healthcare facility to earn LEED Gold. The 630,000-sf facility was designed by Earl Swensson Associates, with commissioning consultant SSRCx, both of Nashville.
| Apr 13, 2011
Duke University parking garage driven to LEED certification
People parking their cars inside the new Research Drive garage at Duke University are making history—they’re utilizing the country’s first freestanding LEED-certified parking structure.
| Apr 12, 2011
American Institute of Architects announces Guide for Sustainable Projects
AIA Guide for Sustainable Projects to provide design and construction industries with roadmap for working on sustainable projects.
| Mar 30, 2011
China's low-carbon future city
In 2005, the Chinese government announced its target to reduce energy consumption per GDP unit by 20% by the year 2010. After a multi-billion investment, that target has been reached. The Chinese Climate Protection Program’s goal to increase energy efficiency, develop renewable energies, and promote energy savings while reducing pollutant emissions and strengthening environmental protection is reflected in the “Future City” by SBA Design.
| Mar 30, 2011
As more commercial buildings go green, a few go net-zero
In theory there’s a big pot of money that entrepreneurs with net-zero ambitions can draw from. Each year, more than $600 billion is spent on new construction and renovation of commercial buildings, but adding the technology to commercial buildings—which use 40% of the country’s energy and make up 40% of its greenhouse gas emissions—is a challenge.
| Mar 29, 2011
City's design, transit system can ease gas costs
Some cities in the U.S. are better positioned to deal with rising gas prices than others because of their design and transit systems, according to CEOs for Cities, a Chicago-based nonprofit that works to build stronger cities. The key factor: whether residents have to drive everywhere, or have other options.
| Mar 29, 2011
Read up on Amazon.com's new green HQ
Phase IV of Amazon’s new headquarters in Seattle is nearly complete. The company has built 10 of the 11 buildings planned for its new campus in the South Lake Union neighborhood, and is on-track for a 2013 grand opening.
| Mar 22, 2011
China releases new guidelines on renewable energy architecture
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development published a circular on renewable energy architecture, stressing broader reach and improved implementation at all levels of government. Of significance: achieving a renewable energy consumption of 20% by 2020; increasing renewable construction to 2.5 billion square meters by the end of 2015; increasing development of green construction and conservation projects and providing subsidies for green city projects.
| Mar 22, 2011
Cities with the most energy efficient buildings: L.A., Houston, Detroit, Dallas
The United States Environmental Protection Agency released its annual list of the top 10 American cities with the most energy efficient buildings—in this case, commercial buildings that have earned an Energy Star rating signifying they consume 35% less energy and release 35% less carbon dioxide than average buildings—and for the third year running, Los Angeles snagged the No. 1 spot.
