An abandoned industrial building originally built in 1905 is currently undergoing a revitalization project to become a new office building for Acciona, a Spanish sustainable infrastructure and energy company. The Madrid-based building is being designed by Foster + Partners and will include over 107,000-sf of new office space and a unique mix of private and public land with green landscaping.
The building was originally built as a natural gas plan that supplied energy to the surrounding areas and had fallen into disuse until Acciona acquired it in 2017. The project will introduce a series of stepped floors that create terraces sheltered under the historic roof.
The lightweight structure will be made from timber sustainably sourced from local forests. It will allow for spatial flexibility while also integrating lighting, ventilation, and other services within. The timber structure will save over 1,000 tons of CO2 and is recyclable and demountable. A central skylight will bring natural light into the building’s interior, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Silicon plates that generate electricity will also be incorporated.
The project will include a new courtyard (within which is a new ground floor space with a garden roof) that leads to a large 100,000-sf+ park with 300 trees, outdoor working spaces, and areas for informal meetings.
The project is currently under construction.
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Sep 14, 2023
New York office revamp by Kohn Pedersen Fox features new façade raising occupant comfort, reducing energy use
The modernization of a mid-century Midtown Manhattan office tower features a new façade intended to improve occupant comfort and reduce energy consumption. The building, at 666 Fifth Avenue, was originally designed by Carson & Lundin. First opened in November 1957 when it was considered cutting-edge, the original façade of the 500-foot-tall modernist skyscraper was highly inefficient by today’s energy efficiency standards.
Designers | Sep 5, 2023
Optimizing interior design for human health
Page Southerland Page demonstrates how interior design influences our mood, mental health, and physical comfort.
Office Buildings | Aug 31, 2023
About 11% of U.S. office buildings could be suitable for green office-to-residential conversions
A National Bureau of Economic Research working paper from researchers at New York University and Columbia Business School indicates that about 11% of U.S. office buildings may be suitable for conversion to green multifamily properties.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 31, 2023
New York City creates team to accelerate office-to-residential conversions
New York City has a new Office Conversion Accelerator Team that provides a single point of contact within city government to help speed adaptive reuse projects. Projects that create 50 or more housing units from office buildings are eligible for this new program.
Office Buildings | Aug 25, 2023
A new white paper explores the pros and cons of office building conversions
Produced by SGA and Colliers, the paper charts considerations for 14 building types.
Government Buildings | Aug 23, 2023
White House wants to ‘aggressively’ get federal workers back to the office
The Biden administration wants to “aggressively” get federal workers back in the office by September or October. “We are returning to in-person work because it is critical to the well-being of our teams and will enable us to deliver better results for the American people,” according to an email by White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients. The administration will not eliminate remote work entirely, though.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 115 Architecture Engineering Firms for 2023
Stantec, HDR, Page, HOK, and Arcadis North America top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
2023 Giants 400 Report: Ranking the nation's largest architecture, engineering, and construction firms
A record 552 AEC firms submitted data for BD+C's 2023 Giants 400 Report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2023
Top 175 Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, HKS, Perkins&Will, Corgan, and Perkins Eastman top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture firms for nonresidential building and multifamily housing work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Affordable Housing | Aug 21, 2023
Essential housing: What’s in a name?
For many in our communities, rising rents and increased demand for housing means they are only one paycheck away from being unhoused. It’s time to stop thinking of affordable housing as a handout and start calling it what it is: Essential Housing.
