Low Carbon-High Urban
Team
Peter Rose & Partners – Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates – Guy Nordenson and Associates – Matthias Schuler, Transsolar Climate Engineering – Mobility in Chain – ARO Architectural Research Office
Statement from project team
Conceived as an urban generator for Jätkäsaari, the project is located on the most visible and prominent site on Jätkäsaari. It will be the first building that comes into view as one approaches Jätkäsaari from downtown Helsinki. The first building to be constructed, it is designed to be the harbinger of the sustainable future, and witness to its unfolding over time.
The strategies of sustainability employed in this building complex prefigure those of the larger project. These strategies include: the use of wood gas as a fuel for an on-site micro electrical and heat generator; solar panels on the roof and south facing walls to produce electricity; construction that privileges the use of wood, both for its cultural/economic value as a native material, and to embed carbon within it, avoiding the emission of carbon by reducing the amount of concrete used; and ready access to public transport by both tram and boat.
One of the most important aspects, and a key sustainability strategy of this structure is the high level of programmatic flexibility of the building. In addition to containing multiple programs, the design and location of the cores allow the programmatic contents of the building to be adjusted not only in terms of location, but also proportionally – in relation to one another – without disrupting the basic legibility and civilized use of the building.
