Sustainability Report
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Embodied carbon
The project's embodied carbon strategies focus heavily on adaptive reuse and recycling:
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Adaptive Reuse of Existing Structure: The core strategy is the transformation of the existing, dormant tower, exemplifying adaptive reuse. This inherently avoids the significant embodied carbon of new construction.
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Recycling of Demolished Materials: The pre-existing glazing was separated from the rest of the removed facade elements for recycling and reuse. Specifically, 126 tonnes of glass were recycled.
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Shading Structure: The design of the new facade's shading structure (vertical and horizontal overhangs) is a new material intervention. Its primary benefit is operational energy reduction, but the choice of materials for these elements has an embodied carbon impact.
Operational Emissions / Energy
The project employs ambitious strategies to drastically reduce operational energy consumption:
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Facade Shading System: A carefully designed shading structure with vertical and horizontal louvers reduces solar gain on the facade by 50%. This modification leads to a 20% decrease in the building's overall energy demand.
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Rooftop Photovoltaic Panels: The rooftop has 500sqm of installed photovoltaic panels, contributing to on-site renewable energy generation.
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Advanced Cooling and Heating Systems: The building operates the most up-to-date cooling and heating systems.
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Smart Systems (BMS): Every floor can be independently operated through smart systems (BMS), allowing for optimized energy management and control.
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Greywater Reuse: Six water tanks are installed in the basements to reuse collected greywater, reducing potable water demand and associated energy for water treatment and pumping.
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Optimized Facade Lighting: The facade lighting features sequences of colors and luminous intensities developed to have a mild intensity that protects against light pollution and energy consumption. The energy required to light the tower each night is equivalent to "two home A/C units," indicating a low energy footprint for illumination.
Service and maintenance emissions
The design of the building emphasizes efficiency and longevity, which in turn helps to minimize maintenance needs. One key feature is the durable facade design, which incorporates a shading structure made up of vertical and horizontal overhangs along with rotating fins. This not only enhances the aesthetic appeal but also suggests a robust, low-maintenance exterior. Additionally, the integration of a Building Management System (BMS) allows for independent operation of floors, which can streamline maintenance processes and improve fault detection. As a result, this smart system is likely to reduce the frequency of service trips, leading to an overall more efficient operational strategy.
Afterlife
Adaptive reuse is a central theme of this project:
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Reimagining Existing Structures: The project transforms a building that has been dormant since 1975 into a mixed-use tall building.
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Mixed-Use Program: The transformation into a "mixed-use tall building" indicates a flexible structure or floor plan that can accommodate various functions, such as office space and other uses. Additionally, the text refers to "interior common spaces accessible to office visitors and tenants."
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"Rebirth" of the Tower: The project is framed as the "rebirth" of Piraeus Tower, directly addressing its afterlife and giving it a new purpose.
The pre-existing glazing was separated from the rest of the removed facade elements for recycling and reuse; 126 tonnes of glass were recycled. This demonstrates a direct approach to ensuring materials re-enter the circular economy and a consideration for end-of-life material management.
Key products in low carbon design
