Sustainability Report
Custom Certificates
Embodied carbon
The embedded carbon of a building starts in the early phases of the design. From the beginning, Studio PROTOTYPE worked with materials that have a big negative carbon impact, along with materials that prevent carbon emissions during the production process.
With the choice of a timber structure, the studio not only reduced carbon emissions but also significantly improved the building’s embodied-carbon profile. The design ultimately achieves a net-negative outcome, with a total footprint of –3 kg CO2/m².
Operational Emissions / Energy
The carbon footprint of the building after construction informed key design decisions from the outset. Studio PROTOTYPE defined seven building-physics parameters and optimised them using a parametric model. This process led to a façade that limits heat gain in summer and reduces reliance on energy-intensive systems.
The louvred façade further lowers the building’s operational energy demand by reducing the load on mechanical installations. Although the project exceeds performance targets in some areas, it meets nearly all criteria associated with a Paris-proof standard. In operation, the building performs exceptionally well, achieving a Net Zero Energy (NOM) outcome.
Afterlife
The building accommodates a wide range of functions, yet from the outset it was designed to adapt to future change. The atria are arranged so that each can operate independently as the entrance to a separate department, allowing the building to be fully divisible. The area currently used as a parking garage has also been constructed to enable future conversion into office space without structural alterations, integrating seamlessly with the existing workspaces.
The chosen construction methods rely on dry connections, ensuring that the timber and steel structures are securely assembled without adhesives. The steel elements can be dismantled at the end of the building’s life and reused in a new structure, while the timber framework is installed in a way that allows it to be easily taken apart and repurposed.
Key products in low carbon design
