Arval, a long-term car rental company based in Italy, has recently received a new zero impact headquarters building on the outskirts of Florence. The Pierattelli Architetture-designed building, dubbed the “Photovoltaic Bolt” thanks to its arrow-like shape and large photovoltaic “wings,” is a Climate House Class A building without emissions and is self-sufficient thanks to geothermal pumps and a large array of photovoltaic panels.
The photovoltaic wings have a surface area of over 1,100 sm and comprise about 1000 panels. The flexible, high-efficiency panels are attached to a lightweight steel structure and are integrated with additional panels located on the roof. The bigger wing leans on the main entrance and has a dimension of 50 meters by 35 meters by 36 meters.
Courtesy of Pierattelli Architetture.
The smaller wing leans on the back elevation and measures 23 meters by 33 meters by 40 meters. The panels attached to the wings and the ones on the roof generate enough power to activate the geothermal pumps in the subsoil and make the building completely self-sufficient.
Courtesy of Pierattelli Architetture.
The buildings 7,000 sm of offices and common spaces are distributed over three floors and a basement. Each floor hosts about 200 employees. The spaces are articulated around a central dorsal on north-south axis to provide an east-west direction and guarantee a correct sunlight positioning.
Inside, a main hallway with a large glass wall across two of the floors fills the volume with natural light. Office floors are distinguished by colors so they can be easily identified by their function. The ground floor is ochre yellow for bureaucracy, the first floor is cobalt blue for managers and administrations, and the second floor is light green for the call center and learning center. The basement, meanwhile, hosts the technical spaces for energy control and a large break area made in a light brown color.
Courtesy of Pierattelli Architetture.
The Photovoltaic Bolt is one of the first directional buildings in Italy with zero environmental impact.
Courtesy of Pierattelli Architetture.
Courtesy of Pierattelli Architetture.
Related Stories
| Jun 2, 2014
Parking structures group launches LEED-type program for parking garages
The Green Parking Council, an affiliate of the International Parking Institute, has launched the Green Garage Certification program, the parking industry equivalent of LEED certification.
| May 27, 2014
America's oldest federal public housing development gets a facelift
First opened in 1940, South Boston's Old Colony housing project had become a symbol of poor housing conditions. Now the revamped neighborhood serves as a national model for sustainable, affordable multifamily design.
| May 22, 2014
Facebook, Telus push the limits of energy efficiency with new data centers
Building Teams are employing a range of creative solutions—from evaporative cooling to novel hot/cold-aisle configurations to heat recovery schemes—in an effort to slash energy and water demand.
| May 22, 2014
Big Data meets data centers – What the coming DCIM boom means to owners and Building Teams
The demand for sophisticated facility monitoring solutions has spurred a new market segment—data center infrastructure management (DCIM)—that is likely to impact the way data center projects are planned, designed, built, and operated.
| May 16, 2014
BoA, USGBC to offer $25,000 grants for green affordable housing projects
The Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program will offer 14 grants to developers of affordable housing in North America who are committed to building sustainable communities through the LEED for Neighborhood Development program.
| May 15, 2014
Paints, coatings, and sealants: 10 new ways to seal the deal
Color-shifting finishes, dry-erase surfaces, and stain-blocking paints are highlighted in this round up of new offerings in paints, coatings, sealants, and finishes.
| May 14, 2014
Must see: Vertical forest goes up in the heart of Milan
Some 900 trees, 5,000 shrubs, and 11,000 floral plants have been planted on the terraces of Bosco Verticale, a new high-rise residential development in Milan.
| May 13, 2014
Drexel University case study report: Green Globes cheaper, faster than LEED
GBI’s Green Globes certification process is significantly less expensive to conduct and faster to complete than LEED certification, says Drexel prof.
| May 13, 2014
19 industry groups team to promote resilient planning and building materials
The industry associations, with more than 700,000 members generating almost $1 trillion in GDP, have issued a joint statement on resilience, pushing design and building solutions for disaster mitigation.
| May 12, 2014
10 highest-rated green hotels in the U.S.
The ARIA Sky Suites in Las Vegas and the Lenox Hotel in Boston are among the 10 most popular hotels (according to user reviews) to also achieve Platinum status in TripAdvisor's GreenLeaders program.