With the effects of climate change becoming increasingly tangible over the last few years, sustainability in all industries has never been more important.
Environmentally friendly design has always been important in construction, and here we’ll discuss some of the most impressive sustainable buildings from around the world.
1. One Angel Square, Manchester, UK
Costing over £100m, Manchester’s One Angel Square was the first building in the UK to receive an outstanding Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) rating, making it one of the most sustainable large buildings in the world.
Its most notable feature is a double-skin façade that helps maintain the warm air during the winter, but also releases it during the summer to help cool the building. This works in combination with a large atrium, enabling the building to regulate internal temperatures using passive stack techniques.
2. Marco Polo Tower, Hamburg, Germany
This residential building built on the banks of the Elbe River boasts architectural innovations, rather than technical, that help to reduce operational energy demand by exploiting passive design techniques.
Constructed around an axis, every floor of the building is positioned a few degrees away from the one below, creating recessed facades that shield occupants from direct sunlight, meaning there is no need for electrical air conditioning.
The Marco Polo Tower also boasts a heat exchanger that can pre heat incoming air using its mechanical ventilation system.
3. CopenHill, Copenhagen, Denmark
What’s better than a building that converts over 440,000 tons of waste into clean energy yearly? A building that converts of 440,000 tons of waste energy yearly, but also boasts one of the world’s tallest climbing towers as well as an artificial ski and snowboard slope!
Opened in 2017, CopenHill (also known as Amager Bakke) is key to Copenhagen’s net zero ambitions.
It produces more water than it uses, and clean electricity and heat for 150,000 homes in the region.
4. Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China
This list wouldn’t be complete without the world’s second-tallest skyscraper.
Shanghai Tower is full of sustainable technologies, including its glass façade that twists around the building to reduce wind force on the building which, in turn, reduced the amount of construction materials required.
Similar to One Angel Square, Shanghai Tower also has a second skin that creates a cushion of captured air the helps with natural ventilation. It also boasts 270 wind turbines that provide 10% of the building’s electricity.
5. Bosco Verticale, Milan, Italy
Quite the striking building, you could be forgiven for thinking Bosco Verticale wasn’t being overrun by plants.
Built with surplus space for large trees, plants and shrubbery, the luxury apartments not only help improve the air quality in the building, but also the city.
Sustainability at Quoinstone
At Quoinstone, we have always taken pride in making our construction projects as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible.
We have worked on projects that have won BREEAM awards, and always keep ourselves aware of developments in sustainability that we can incorporate into our next projects.
You can find out more about Quoinstone and our approach here. If you have a project you’d like our advice on, contact us today by calling 01962 435 023, or email us at contact@quoinstoneproperty.co.uk to find out how we can help.