Hailed by the Windwheel Corporation as “a true showcase for climate architecture,” the Dutch Windwheel is a unique building focused on being as sustainable as possible while still providing a complete mixed-use development for the city of Rotterdam.
The Windwheel will be outfitted with myriad advanced technological solutions focused on sustainability. An innovation consortium that includes Arup, the Royal BAM Group, Deltares, Dura Vermeer, ECN, Eneco, Evides, Siemens, SPIE and TNO is researching these technologies, some of which are in latter developmental stages, according to Windwheel Corporation.
Image courtesy of DoepelStrijkers.
Some of the technologies planned for the structure include a smart skin climate zone with natural ventilation and integrated greenery, wind energy and passive cooling, biogas production, a solar façade, and rain water collection. The building will be constructed with materials from the Rotterdam region and is designed to be dynamic and upgradeable after it has been built to stay at the forefront of sustainable innovation.
Image courtesy of DoepelStrijkers.
The sustainability of the Windwheel is obviously the most important aspect of the building, but that doesn’t mean everything else has been pushed aside. The Windwheel wants to become a mixed-use development and economic boon for the Dutch port city.
“Coaster cabins” will be used to move visitors to the top of the 174-meter-tall building. These coaster cabins will rotate around the building like a ferris wheel and use innovative lighting concepts and digital information layers that act as a virtual tour guide for visitors, pointing out what can be seen and providing information.
Image courtesy of DoepelStrijkers.
30,000 sm of commercial space, 14,000 sm of apartments, 14,000 sm of short stay space, a 5,700-sm hotel, and a 2,600-sm sky lobby and panorama restaurant will all be included. Visitors will enter the building via a 2,750-sm entrance lobby.
The Windwheel was originally unveiled in 2015, but this most recent look at the structure provides a more detailed look into the buildings sustainable and mixed-use features. Current projections put a completion date for the project between 2022 and 2025.
Image courtesy of DoepelStrijkers.
Related Stories
Steel Buildings | May 19, 2023
New manufacturing processes can make steel construction a greener option and add U.S. jobs
“Green steel” that is manufactured using hydrogen generated with renewable energy makes its use as a building material more feasible for environmentally conscious designers and clients. Sustainable manufacturing processes, which are economically viable in the U.S., could also revive steelmaking in the country as the metal becomes more attractive for green building.
Office Buildings | May 15, 2023
Sixteen-story office tower will use 40% less energy than an average NYC office building
This month marks the completion of a new 16-story office tower that is being promoted as New York City’s most sustainable office structure. That boast is backed by an innovative HVAC system that features geothermal wells, dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) units, radiant heating and cooling, and a sophisticated control system to ensure that the elements work optimally together.
Headquarters | May 9, 2023
New Wells Fargo development in Texas will be bank’s first net-positive campus
A new Wells Fargo development in the Dallas metroplex will be the national bank’s first net-positive campus, expected to generate more energy than it uses. The 850,000-sf project on 22 acres will generate power from solar panels and provide electric vehicle charging stations.
Senior Living Design | May 8, 2023
Seattle senior living community aims to be world’s first to achieve Living Building Challenge designation
Aegis Living Lake Union in Seattle is the world’s first assisted living community designed to meet the rigorous Living Building Challenge certification. Completed in 2022, the Ankrom Moisan-designed, 70,000 sf-building is fully electrified. All commercial dryers, domestic hot water, and kitchen equipment are powered by electricity in lieu of gas, which reduces the facility’s carbon footprint.
Mass Timber | May 1, 2023
SOM designs mass timber climate solutions center on Governors Island, anchored by Stony Brook University
Governors Island in New York Harbor will be home to a new climate-solutions center called The New York Climate Exchange. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), The Exchange will develop and deploy solutions to the global climate crisis while also acting as a regional hub for the green economy. New York’s Stony Brook University will serve as the center’s anchor institution.
Concrete Technology | Apr 24, 2023
A housing complex outside Paris is touted as the world’s first fully recycled concrete building
Outside Paris, Holcim, a Swiss-based provider of innovative and sustainable building solutions, and Seqens, a social housing provider in France, are partnering to build Recygénie—a 220-unit housing complex, including 70 social housing units. Holcim is calling the project the world’s first fully recycled concrete building.
Green | Apr 21, 2023
Boston to adopt stringent climate-friendly building code
Boston will soon adopt a new stringent green state building code that aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions in new construction and major renovations.
Green | Apr 21, 2023
Top 10 green building projects for 2023
The Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex in Boston and the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis are among the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards honorees for 2023.
Green | Apr 18, 2023
USGBC and IWBI unveil streamlined certification pathway for LEED and WELL green building programs
The U.S. Green Building Council, Green Business Certification Inc., and the International WELL Building Institute released a streamlined process for projects pursuing certifications for the LEED green building rating system and the WELL Building Standard. The new protocol simplifies documentation for projects that are pursuing both certifications at the same time or that have already earned one certification and are looking to add the other.
K-12 Schools | Apr 18, 2023
ASHRAE offers indoor air quality guide for schools
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has released a guide for educators, administrators, and school districts on indoor air quality. The guide can be used as a tool to discuss options to improve indoor air quality based on existing HVAC equipment, regional objectives, and available funding.