All posts by Giulio

3deluxe launches the first zero-emission super-yacht at the Monaco Yacht Show – as NFT!

Zero-Carbon Super-Yacht can be admired on SuperWorld in the port of Monaco

As one of the innovative highlights of the Monaco Yacht Show, design studio, 3deluxe, launched a zero-carbon super-yacht, which is available for purchase as an NFT (digitally encrypted token) on the SuperWorld auction platform.

To coincide with the Monaco Boat Show, the visionary yacht can be admired virtually against the backdrop of the Port of Monaco via the SuperWorld AR platform. Half of the funds raised from the sale will go towards the marine conservation organization, Sea Change Project, founded by the producers of the Oscar-winning film My Octopus Teacher.

Major Changes in Seafaring 

The challenges of climate change are forcing all industries to radically rethink the way they operate. In the technically ambitious world of yacht-building, there are some interesting developments that could pave the wave for achieving the goal of significant reduction in emissions from global seafaring

Some shipyards and technology companies have already made significant progress with the development of zero-carbon propulsion systems using fuel cells and are presenting the prospect of the first zero-carbon ships. Meanwhile, the architecture and design studio, 3deluxe, has many years of expertise in the design of expedition and cruise ships in various formats, and the studio is now presenting a design study for a zero-carbon super-yacht.

From Farm to Ocean: a Floating Garden of Eden

In addition to the technological innovations and the ambitious outer design, the interior of the yacht also sets new standards. The interior concept breaks with many conventions of yacht design to correspond with the visionary, nature-oriented philosophy of the project: A light-suffused, loft-like space forms a spacious room continuum consisting of a greenhouse, lounge living space, kitchen, bar, and vegetable garden. Luxury is rewritten entirely, with natural surroundings replacing acrylic glass and brass, and natural, healthy air replacing excessive air conditioning.

Healthy food cultivated on-board, fresh fish from the ocean, relaxation, workouts, online business meetings, celebrations with friends – all of this is possible within the inspiring ambiance of the paradisiacal biotope. The additional water needed for the plants is obtained through a seawater desalination system, which is powered by the zero-carbon solar panels on the roof and the exterior. Additionally, the master bedroom is an open-topped space within the greenhouse – with a view of the starry night sky. The open spatial concept corresponds to the modern living concepts of a new generation of yachts: open, unconventional, and close to nature.

Biophilic Super Yacht 

The simple, elegant exterior of the ship is characterized by a homogeneous, closed shape. Reduced and streamlined, the volume offers minimal resistance to wind and weather, and the hull merges seamlessly with the side façade right up to the highest point of the ship.

Sensor-controlled louvers are integrated into the raised side walls to regulate the amount of light reaching the upper decks, and they can be closed during fast sailing and adverse weather. The protected flat roof is glazed and lets daylight into the interior. Additionally, the side, sensor-controlled louvers also boast transparent photovoltaic cells, which provide power for air conditioning, lighting, and the desalination system.

The wheelhouse is unconventionally located at the bow, so the open sundeck behind it can extend seamlessly through into a generous, single-space interior concept. At the open stern, there is a saltwater pool and a small marina with direct access to the sea.

Private Yacht & Educative Vessel in One

Ideally, the ship’s future owners will make it available for educational and training purposes during lay-up periods.

The aim is to remove the elitist character of these kinds of private investments, and to use the project as a communicative platform for discussion of the complex challenges of our time – as a modern, innovative training ship for new and inspirational approaches for young people, students, and innovative start-ups, and as an unconventional venue for summits, conferences, and think tanks. Ideally, this would compensate somewhat for the consumption of resources involved in its construction.

Gentle Technologies for the Heavy Metal Sector

The most attractive and progressive key technology for zero-carbon propulsion of cruise ships and yachts is currently considered to be fuel cells driven by hydrogen. The hydrogen required for the fuel cells can either be refueled or produced locally using methanol from emissions-free production. Methanol is more readily available and less complex to handle than hydrogen and, with one full tank of bio-methanol, a fuel-cell yacht travelling at slow speed can still cover a distance of 1,000 nautical miles.

This technology currently remains expensive, but with the appropriate maturity and greater prospects for marketing, it will become increasingly affordable for commercial shipping. The silent electric engines, which can be distributed decentrally throughout the ship, also avoid any outward noise pollution, while the interior of the ship would likewise be unusually quiet and free of vibrations.

Yet it’s not only the operation, but also the construction of a yacht that needs to be as emission-free and as sparing in its use of resources as possible. There are already some innovative steel and aluminum producers in Norway and Germany who are driving down CO2 emissions considerably through the use of renewable energy, optimized manufacturing processes, and recycling. Similar optimization should apply to the entire manufacturing process of the yacht. After all, here too innovative yacht construction could be a driving force for an emissions-free future for the entire shipping industry.

About 3deluxe

3deluxe is a design studio based in Wiesbaden, which brings together approximately 40 creatives from the fields of architecture, interior design, and brand design. The multifaceted projects attract worldwide attention and include designs for expedition and cruise ships. The firm is currently working on projects in Germany, Lithuania, the USA, and Dubai.

Photos credit: 3deluxe

 

 

 

Future of Ontario Place to showcase new landmark entertainment and wellbeing destination, public beach, parkland, and cultural hub by Therme Group

Therme Group to create a year-round wellbeing destination – creating new opportunities for people to connect with Lake Ontario.  

Therme Group, a global wellbeing organization, is pleased to announce that it is working with the Government of Ontario and City of Toronto to contribute to the revitalization of Ontario Place. Therme Canada | Ontario Place will continue Ontario Place’s heritage revitalizing its original vision – celebrating the province and its culture and bringing a first-of-its-kind experience to Toronto’s waterfront.

Therme Canada | Ontario Place will be a family-friendly experience with stunning indoor and outdoor pools, waterslides and a wave pool, natural spaces to relax, sports performance and recovery services, and luscious botanical gardens. Programming will include fun and healthy activities for all ages, and affordable wellness therapies to meet all needs. Delicious, healthy, and sustainably produced food is a cornerstone of the Therme experience and, guests can enjoy family meals, dinner with friends, and spectacular date-night entertainment.

“Therme is a unique, all-season experience: It’s a natural urban oasis where people can have fun, relax and unwind from their busy lives – boosting their physical and mental health,” said Dr. Robert Hanea, CEO of Therme Group. “The future of Ontario Place will be defined by how successful it can be connecting people to the water. Through our technology and by engaging the community, Therme and our partners will add a new architectural landmark that will play a role in bringing more people back to the waterfront capturing the original spirit of Ontario Place from 50 years ago.”

“Ontario Place is an iconic and valuable location. Its redevelopment provides a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver something incredible for the people of Ontario,” said Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. “Therme Group’s advanced, accessible approach to holistic wellness is popular throughout Europe, and will be a welcome addition to Ontario Place – bringing a world-class, family-friendly wellness and cultural attraction to our province that creates unforgettable experiences for all visitors, while providing good jobs, and playing a key role in supporting Ontario’s social and economic recovery.”

Public Parks and Open Spaces 

Ontario Place has historically been a publicly accessible destination for recreation, entertainment, and leisure. Therme Canada | Ontario Place will carry on and improve traditions of public access to Ontario Place. Through the planned creation of over eight acres of public spaces, including a free-access public beach and enhanced pedestrian and cycling access, people will be able to better connect with the Lake.  Therme’s bridge to the West Island will support the extension and enhancement of the William G. Davis Trail across the entire site, including providing a new link to the mainland from the West Island, allowing people to enjoy more of Ontario Place outdoors year-round.  Therme also looks forward to continuing its engagement with people in Toronto to understand what other features or experiences it might be able to bring to this new public space on the waterfront.

Arts and Culture  

As part of its focus on holistic wellbeing, Therme Group supports arts and culture by working with local and internationally recognized artists and new emerging talents. It commissions and integrates art installations in each of its destinations, bringing immersive art to the public outside of the traditional spaces of museums and galleries.

Economic Benefits  

Every Therme Group project is designed to benefit the economy, society, and community it serves. Therme Canada will create over 2,200 construction jobs, 800 full time permanent positions, and can accommodate up to 3 million visitors to Ontario Place every year – supporting the city and province’s tourism sectors and post-pandemic recovery. Therme’s investment is currently estimated to be CAD $350 million.

About Therme Canada 

Therme Group is a global organization known for creating the world’s largest and most technologically advanced entertainment and wellbeing destinations. Every year it enables millions of people to have the opportunity for a healthy and sustainable vacation at home. Therme Group and its strategic partners operate four facilities in Europe and have more than 10 large-scale projects in the late stages of development worldwide. More information about Therme Canada can be found at thermecanada.com. 

ANTIREALITY – LIMITLESS IMAGINATION

A Trip through Antireality in Design

What does Antireality mean to you in your work?

Antireality: Antireality is a conceptual room in my own imagination, where structural truth does not prevent me from exploring designs I cannot create in terms of that paradigm.

It is my escape from my daily existence: A dreamlike record of my vision for an idealistic world, aiming to stimulate other peoples’ imagination.

I draw my ideas from the natural world of plants and animals. Things I notice when I leave the city to spend time in nature.

So architecture and nature could harmonize together? Tell me more.

Antireality: Everything, you, I, plants, animals, buildings have their existence in nature. I like to imagine how these realities could merge. So you’ll notice organic images fusing with structures in my antireality imagination.

This is my internal world where I am free to play with forms, shapes, dimensions and colors without having to take account of objective reality. In a sense I am antireal in this mode.

What are the drivers and motives behind your antirealism?

Antireality: I try to deliberately escape the ‘rules’ of objective reality. In other words, I don’t limit myself in terms of architectural language. But this does not mean you will not discover common conceptual themes in my work, although my design philosophy prevents them for becoming limitations on my style.

At the moment I am in a mode of creating idealistic, semi-real extensions of what I see about me. But this does not mean I have made this a rule either. I may be doing something else later to get away from daily routine.

So the Antireality posts on Instagram question the current reality?

Antireality: Yes they do, and through them I want you to see the relationship between architecture, nature and people in a different light. I want to submerge you in an alternative world that challenges your assumptions about these things.

Each of the Instagram creations is on the boundary of what is real and possible, and where fantasy begins. They are akin to that phase of sleep where you can still consciously experience your dreams.

So your Antireality designs are not your own deliberate creation?

Antireality: Antireality designs occupy space beyond the bounds of human logic, similar to dreams when entering sleep. We have to shed our external reference points first before they are possible to create.

I form my designs by day-dreaming white space, until a concept appears in my virtual canvas. Only then can I begin my work, although sometimes I have to fan the flame of the idea.

Amazing Mountain House in British Columbia designed by Milad Eshtiyaghi

Mountain House in British Columbia designed by Milad Eshtiyaghi

The idea of ​​the design start from the base that was already there on the site of the 4 old trees, and we wanted to building our project without cut or move the trees so we built our project around the trees and in the space of between we made a backyard in front of the trees. 

The architect divided the project into three levels according to the client need:

One level for family parents. One level for son’s of the family and his wife. We connect these two level by the level above which is the recreational sports space. 

Project canopies can be mechanically opened and closed depending on sun move or depending on person. The windows of the valley side can be opened and closed so that windows become a terrace and terrace becomes a windows and the structure of this system is a cable.

The Circular Villa by ANTIREALITY

The CIRCULAR VILLA by ANTIREALITY is a conceptual design of a summer house situated within a cliff recess. The key to this project was to design the house that shape integrates into the structure of the rocky landscape. The white and abstract volume of the design fits within the cliff niche simultaneously does not create a direct geometrical connection.

The name of the building refers not only to the shape of the central spiral staircase (leading to the circular roof pool) but also pertain to a general circular motif used throughout the entire project. A breakthrough view of the surroundings provoked the idea of the observatory-like house. The central circulation core rises up like a tower with all the house zones build around it. Terraces constitute a significant part of each of the floors which contain viewing platforms for watching the surrounding wildlife. Thanks to the dry and warm climate, Circular Villa challenges the concept of division between outdoor and indoor. Terraces and the main circulation core connect different zones of the building, this creates a natural flow between indoor and outdoor areas. The roof terrace is topped by the circular pool allowing users to enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding. 

Visualization by Antireality

The Circular Villa consists of five main functional zones: work area (level 0 – studio), day area (level I – kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom), night area (level II – bedroom, bathroom), viewing area (level III – terraces, rooftop with a pool), circulation area (spiral staircase connecting all of the levels). 

The vast majority of the building area of approx. 750 m² contains terraces and outdoor spaces. The folded slab visually connects all of the building zones with the surroundings. The main structure is made of reinforced concrete, the facade is designed from glass and perforated metal panels, the primary interior material is white wooden panels. Circular facade elements are movable and can be adapted according to the position of the sun. Thanks to this simple flexible installation facade system response to multiple needs of users. 

summer house embedded in the cliff
cliff house with circular roof pool
futuristic cliff house
cliff house with ocean view
house inside the rock
circular house with spiral staircase

Connect with the ANTIREALITY

Can The Construction Industry Require Mandatory Vaccination Of Workers?

by Sahil Shoor , Tristan Neill , Anne Lemay and Cristina Borbely

Gowling WLG

The nature of construction work makes physical distancing and other Infection Prevention and Control measures difficult to implement.  This heightens the importance of vaccinations in preventing and containing COVID-19 on construction sites.  Despite this, the complex contractual organization of construction projects, and the numerous players with overlapping health and safety obligations, human rights and freedoms, creates unique challenges for developing a vaccination strategy.  It is increasingly clear that COVID-19, and COVID-19 vaccinations, will be with us for some time; careful forethought and planning for dealing with vaccinations is required at all stages of the construction process, from initial procurement, through contract drafting, to managing onsite construction.   

The above factors raise numerous questions for participants in the construction industry, such as:

  • Can employers require that their employees be vaccinated or to disclose their vaccination status?
  • What influence can participants at higher rungs of the construction ladder, like owners, exert over participants at lower rungs, like contractors and sub-contractors?
  • Can an owner require a contractor to only employ vaccinated employees and subcontractors?
  • Can certain projects or construction sites be off-limits to non-vaccinated workers?
  • Who will bear primary responsibility for dealing with vaccinations on a given project?
  • What policies should be put in place regarding vaccinations?
  • What steps can be taken if an employee or other industry participant refuses to get vaccinated or comply with vaccination policies?

What does the law say?

Existing case law has not dealt with these issues to any significant degree. However, there is some direction from across Canada with regard to mandatory vaccination, which is not without precedent.  In Ontario and New Brunswick it is imposed by law in the public school setting with limited exceptions for certain medical and religious/reasons of conscience grounds.  In the workplace, the issue has been frequently litigated in the healthcare setting, where unions have challenged mandatory vaccination policies or policies such as “vaccinate or mask” against seasonal influenza as infringing on the collective agreement. However, the case law is inconsistent. While “Vaccinate Or Mask” (“VOM”) Policies in healthcare settings were upheld in some cases,2 such policies were found to be unreasonable in others.3 Currently, there is no mandatory vaccination requirement for people working in health care, long-term care and retirement home settings in Ontario. 

Based on the pre-COVID-19 case law on VOM policies, it is clear that much will depend on the leadership of provincial and territorial medical officers of health to mandate vaccination.

In response to the pandemic, the Ontario government has implemented a new form of unpaid, job-protected leave known as “Infectious Disease Emergency Leave” (“IDEL“), which is available to employees who will not be performing their duties for certain prescribed reasons. It is of note that the Ontario government has published commentary suggesting that employers may place employees on IDEL where the employees have not received the COVID-19 vaccine, and the employer is concerned that the employees may expose others in the workplace to COVID-19. This should not, however, be considered to be an endorsement of mandatory vaccination policies.

IDEL is currently set to expire on July 3, 2021, unless further extended. It is currently unclear whether the vaccine will be widely available in Ontario prior to July 3, 2021. Therefore, it is unlikely that employers can justify imposing a mandatory vaccination policy and placing unvaccinated employees on IDEL while the vaccine remains largely unavailable to the general public.

In all cases, employers have a duty to take all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of workers pursuant to occupational health and safety legislation.  A mandatory vaccination policy would be adopted pursuant to these obligations. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, employers have been required to develop a COVID-19 safety plan and to implement active screening of employees for COVID-19. Whether employers will be required to additionally screen employees based on immunization remains unclear.

Can An Employer Implement a Mandatory Vaccination Policy?

At this time, as there is no scientific evidence that COVID-19 transmission is reduced following vaccination, mandatory vaccination policies may be difficult to justify.  Employers will also need to consider whether less intrusive measures (such as hand-washing, mask-wearing and daily screenings or incentive vaccination policies) are sufficient to promote the health and safety of workers and of the workplace without imposing mandatory vaccination.

Employees have a right to be free from discrimination and employers have a duty to accommodate employees to the point of undue hardship under human rights legislation. Any vaccination policy will need to be flexible enough to accommodate those employees who are unable to be vaccinated, be it for a medical or religious reason. Further, in Canada, refusing to be vaccinated is unlikely to be upheld as cause for termination of an employee’s employment, such that employers could be liable for wrongful dismissal damages for employees who refuse to be vaccinated.

In unionized settings, employers will need to meet the added requirement that any policies instituted be reasonable and consistent with the collective agreement.

Absent public health guidance or directives, employers will be required to conduct individual case-by-case analyses to ensure that all risks and factors have been considered before mandating vaccination for employees.

Takeaways

This analysis suggests a number of key takeaway points for the construction industry:

  • Primary responsibility for construction project health and safety rests with the “constructor,” and is often contractually assigned to the prime contractor.  These responsibilities include compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, its regulations, and any other applicable safety policies, including the duty to take all precautions reasonable to protect the health and safety of workers. 
  • What is reasonable will depend on the nature of the work at each project site, and on the ever-changing medical evidence relating to COVID-19 and vaccine efficacy.  Different levels of risk (of COVID-19 transmission) may justify different policies.
  • Some employees will have legitimate human rights grounds for refusing to get the vaccine.  Others will simply refuse to do so.
  • Vaccination policies must be reasonable given the circumstances, and should include exceptions, accommodations, and alternative measures for employees who are unable to get the vaccine on the basis of a protected grounds.  A “one-size-fits-all” approach will carry risks.
  • Workplaces with high risk of Covid-19 transmission may be afforded greater flexibility in dealing with mandatory vaccination policies.     
  • Accommodation may include deploying non-vaccinated employees to worksites with lower risks of transmission, and continuing with masking and physical distancing policies for these workers.

It appears increasingly likely that COVID-19 will be circulating in the community for at least the mid-term, and that careful planning is required to transition to the COVID-19 vaccination era. 

Gowling WLG’s construction and employment law teams are available to provide advice on developing a comprehensive strategy for managing COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations.

GG-loop brings biophilic regenerative architecture to large-scale urban developments

The need for healthy homes has hardly ever been more apparent than during the current global condition. The current efforts to reduce the negative impacts of buildings are inadequate. Therefore the built environment must be designed in a different way. To bring regenerative collective habitation to all scales of development, Amsterdam architecture practice GG-loop, sharing the vision with Arup, is developing Mitosis: a modular building system created by a parametric design tool following biophilic and user-centric design principles.

Mission

GG-loop’s goal is to develop an architectural solution that “gives back” to the Planet and can serve as a benchmark for the real estate and urban development sector. Mitosis’ vision is to deepen the understanding of its relationship with Nature, to raise awareness and sensitize both professionals and the general public regarding the importance of biophilic architecture as an answer to the current climate condition.

Sharing the same vision as Arup, GG-loop works to inspire and provide healthy sustainable living communities and net-positive impacts on ecology and society. By working with the natural environments rather than against it, the natural balance and health of the planet can be restored.

Giacomo Garziano stated “Mitosis aims to support the daily uses and the tasks of the inhabitants, in order to promote direct and indirect contact with nature. We aim to generate a healthy, emotional, and productive habitat for rest, work, and living at 360° with nature.”

Mitosis is the follow-up of a multi-awarded pilot project completed by GG-loop in 2019: Freebooter, a pair of prefabricated CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) apartments in Amsterdam, wrapped in a parametric timber louvered facade. The building was created using biophilic principles, connecting architecture with nature in order to improve the life quality of the people who use the building. GG-loop’s ambition to bring these qualities to multiple scales has resulted in Mitosis.
The name Mitosis refers to the biological process of a single cell dividing itself into two identical daughter cells. It represents the modularity and the long-term adaptation of the system and serves as a metaphor for a flexible co-living organism where each residential unit coexists in symbiosis with all the others and its environment.

Bringing biophilic design to large-scale developments

The “Biophilia Hypothesis” by Edward O. Wilson reveals why humans have an intrinsic need to connect with nature and other living systems. Mitosis adopts the 14 principles of biophilic design and articulates the relationships between nature, human biology, and the design of the built environment. It builds an ecosystem where dwellers experience a unique way of living and fulfill their innate desire to reconnect with nature. Exposed to green shared areas, tiny forests, and gardens that cascade up and down the entire building, dwellers can benefit from the direct and indirect connection with nature. Health and well-being are fostered through careful material choices, flexible layouts, organic interiors, and large outdoor spaces.


Giacomo Garziano, founder of GG-loop said “Our vision goes further than the integration of just green systems, but rather creates a built environment that restores and nurtures its surroundings, and that serves as a catalyst for positive change.”

Positive footprint ecosystems

Mitosis creates regenerative ecosystems with a positive ecological footprint. It balances the technical benefits of an environmentally conscious construction with the qualities of an organic and healthy environment in which its residents coexist harmoniously.

Mitosis generates urban clusters using prefabricated timber and bio-based modules that are cost-efficient and flexible in its construction. By consciously choosing materials that capture carbon and using resources more efficiently, Mitosis constructs a net-positive built environment that produces more energy than it consumes and uses resources in a circular way.

The enhancement of biodiversity in the urban fabric has a beneficial impact on the quality of life and the environmental education of the inhabitants. Mitosis integrates plant and animal life throughout the buildings, allowing its dwellers to coexist harmoniously with the biodiversity of local flora and fauna. Mitosis is designed to co-evolve with its surrounding, by recreating ecosystems appropriate to the climate, site, and residents. In this way, Mitosis can facilitate the conservation and improvement of the biodiversity that exists on the site. 

Giacomo Garziano, founder of GG-loop also stated “We are part of nature in a deep and fundamental way, but in our modern lives we’ve lost that connection. In addition to the technical benefits of acoustics improvement, CO2, and urban heat reduction, being in direct contact with nature has proven to improve physical and mental health and overall well-being.”

Social cohesion

The distinct rhomboid shape of the individual design modules is integral to the functionality of Mitosis. Stacking these modules creates large areas for shared outdoor living, with each unit having at least one terrace.


Mitosis’ vertical connections are placed externally to connect the units and terraces, creating a continuous ribbon of outdoor ‘cloister-like’ spaces, fostering a sense of openness, belonging, protection, and privacy for residents.

Mitosis’ construction is organic and flexible, providing large areas of urban and vertical farming, greenhouses, wildlife corridors, and integration of habitat creation, that encourage shared outdoor activities among residents.

By applying elements of nature and providing available renewable resources in shared facilities and infrastructures of community living, Mitosis encourages dwellers to engage in pro-environmental practices and share their expectations of sustainability. This helps create healthier environments and improve social interaction.

Project development

Mitosis is developed by parametric and BIM 3D modeling software. It generates dwelling clusters composed of prefabricated CLT modules through a complex iterative process. The optimized volume and scale of Mitosis are based on the calculation and simulation of parameters related to specific stakeholders’ needs and conditions of a given site.

The volumes and internal layouts derive from the calculation and simulation of parameters related to specific conditions of the site: solar radiation, wind impact, privacy, population density, common spaces index, and vertical connections. With the parametric design tool, Mitosis explores how buildings can grow, evolve, heal and self-sustain, similar to human bodies, as well as use biological metaphors to design buildings capable of regeneration, resilience, and self-sufficiency.

Due to its flexible structure and grid formation, Mitosis is able to host a variety of typologies that are customizable to the resident’s needs. It is applicable to diverse urban scales, ranging from off-grid single-family detached houses (30m2 up to a quadruplex 120m2 ) to high-density mixed-use urban clusters that incorporate public functions such as education, leisure, wellness, and retail. Mitosis generates experiential spaces that respect both the environment and its direct inhabitants, reconnecting both in a balanced ecosystem. By accommodating for all sizes, typologies, and performance levels, Mitosis moves beyond the basic concept of sustainable design and shifts towards a design that focuses on producing net-positive impacts on the environment. 

What will Smart Cities Look like in the Future?

Game-Changing, Intelligent Façade for 3deluxe’s New Building

In recent years much has been said about smart cities and smart buildings but people rarely understand what the label can actually mean in real terms. Together with the client FC Ingenieure in Karlsruhe and the technology company Merck, the architects at 3deluxe have succeeded in coming up with an attractive building ensemble with an interesting, innovative glass façade, which adds a fascinating new facet to intelligent architecture.

The trend in recent years towards cutting the expanses of windows in new buildings in order to save energy conflicts with people’s desire for bright, cheerful rooms flooded with light – and does not, therefore, represent real progress. Extensive glazing and the corresponding effect this has on the way people relate to their environment is an emotionally important aspect of well-being and thus always a significant factor in 3deluxe’s building concepts. Accordingly, intelligent glass is not only durable and efficient but also helpful in the innovative design of people-friendly architecture and one of the many technological innovations that will be necessary for planning smart cities in the future.

The Building’s Inner Workings: Smart, Digital, Convenient 

The office stories have a generous, open concept used largely rejects the idea of internal walls. The structure of the building invites a cooperative, non-hierarchical approach to work. Communicative shared spaces and areas for focused work unobtrusively alternate with one another and the offices are fitted out with furniture that is appropriate to its urban context. The concept of a paperless office allows for light, transparent furnishings and views of what is happening outside that are largely unimpeded. Thanks to an app specially designed by the developers, staff can control pretty well everything in the building. They can select their lunches from the in-house food bar or allow themselves to be guided through the surrounding park areas in their breaks.

To avoid plastic, water is provided from the well on the grounds, while the carpet is made of recycled fishing nets and plastic bottles. Modern heated and chilled ceilings ensure a pleasant ambient temperature in the offices. Cooling and heating are provided from a geothermal source that uses 24 probes that run to a depth of 130 meters and electricity is generated by a PV system on the roof, meaning that the building requires zero outside energy.

Consistent Corporate Design for Future-Oriented Engineering Company 

The developer and user of this building ensemble, which is very prominently situated in close proximity to one of Germany’s busiest autobahns, is the Karlsruhe-based FC Gruppe. This engineering company, which has a payroll of more than 300, works both for Porsche and on innovative, future-oriented hospital concepts. In light of this, the intention in 3deluxe’s building design was to combine innovation, sustainability, efficiency, and a meaningful arrangement, so as to create a distinctive composition.

A cube offered the most economical ratio between outside surface and volume, thus representing the most efficient building shape from a sustainability viewpoint. The FC Group’s two identical cubes are twisted in opposite directions and stand on a large floating podium under which an open underground parking lot is located. Because of the striking, organically-shaped, story-spanning windows, the two individual cubes merge, depending on perspective, to produce a sculptural overall effect with a varying, charming appearance.

The Building’s Inner Workings: Smart, Digital, Convenient 

The office stories have a generous, open concept used largely rejects the idea of internal walls. The structure of the building invites a cooperative, non-hierarchical approach to work. Communicative shared spaces and areas for focused work unobtrusively alternate with one another and the offices are fitted out with furniture that is appropriate to its urban context. The concept of a paperless office allows for light, transparent furnishings and views of what is happening outside that are largely unimpeded. Thanks to an app specially designed by the developers, staff can control pretty well everything in the building. They can select their lunches from the in-house food bar or allow themselves to be guided through the surrounding park areas in their breaks.

To avoid plastic, water is provided from the well on the grounds, while the carpet is made of recycled fishing nets and plastic bottles. Modern heated and chilled ceilings ensure a pleasant ambient temperature in the offices. Cooling and heating are provided from a geothermal source that uses 24 probes that run to a depth of 130 meters and electricity is generated by a PV system on the roof, meaning that the building requires zero outside energy.

Nature and the Protection of Endangered Species between a Commercial Park and the Autobahn 

The FC Campus building is situated in a semi-natural environment, between an industrial park, the autobahn feeder road, and a small tree and meadow biotope with a little stream, an environment very much deserving of protection. The architecture has adopted a circumspect approach to this residual natural environment. In order to avoid birds crashing into the generous glazing which stretches around corners the architect in cooperation with the Swiss ornithological station, Sempach came up with the kind of delicate, semitransparent pattern printed onto the glazing of which birds would be aware but which would not, at the same time, spoil the view.

The outside lighting was designed to take the form of insect-friendly LED lights with a low beam height and focused lighting on the surfaces, without light emission into the surroundings. The decision was taken not to install scenic lighting on the vegetation or the building shell. Throughout the entire site and in the open underground parking lot underneath the building’s floating base plate sealed areas have been reduced to a minimum, which means the roadways and the footpaths.