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As WAN announced in February 2011, Melbourne-based practice CK Designworks is currently heading a masterplanning project in Nanjing, China.. This week we received this highly sustainable concept design which is a key constituent of the 20 sq km scheme, detailing an eco-friendly commercial building boasting a plethora of sustainable elements.
The volume has a footprint of 18,400 sq m and a gross floor area of 111,700 sq m. As such there will be an immense saving on land costs in an area where this commodity is at a premium. Robert Caulfield, Partner in charge of the project explains that ‘buildings of this type are particularly suited to areas where land is at a premium, but also relevant where there is a need for manufacturing processes to be close to ports or road and rail hubs’.
Sustainable features of the building include natural ventilation, utilisation of solar-heated air for winter heating, treated waste water discharged into a nearby lake, heat recovery from industrial processes, and the use of cool air from a nearby lake surface for summer cooling.
Caulfield continues: “Buildings of this type are suitable for a wide range of manufacturing, particularly small mass-produced electronics and white goods items. We have included a showroom, conference rooms, staff amenities and a restaurant on the ground floor. The top twelve floors are office floors for administration and research purposes.”