Eco Factor: Sustainable building seeks BREEAM rating with “passivhaus” principles.
Aedas of Leeds made its way into the 36 The Calls architectural competition with a design proposal called the “Contained Calls.” The shortlisted entry for the competition run by the Architects Journal with developer Citu features an office building with stacked containers. Participants were asked to develop an “iconic” commercial building, situated on the calls waterfront adjacent to the river Aire.
Deriving inspiration from the former warehouse storage units that once inhabited the site, Aedas ingeniously arranged modules between the existing buildings. The idea was to create a design that complements the existing urban environment and the history of the site. The design maximizes cool north light and controls solar gains. The naturally ventilated modules will adopt “passivhaus” principles like high thermal mass, low air leakage and high insulation. With the inclusion of further residual energy and a community combined heat and power plant, the building could succeed in becoming carbon neutral.
The individual prefabricated modules provide 136m2 of open plan work space and can be easily stacked both horizontally and vertically, allowing future expansion. The pods will be constructed using monocoque construction techniques. A south facing terrace linked to a riverside walk will offer new connections to the adjacent future calls wharf development and provide valuable green space within the city. The architectural firm seeks a minimum excellent BREEAM rating with the holistic design approach that has been adopted.
Via: Bustler
