Target: C2 rating
The ONF wished to commission a timber-framed building that would constitute a benchmark in its field for its use of timber construction technologies and its incorporation of timber-related know-how. As headquarters of the ONF, the building also had to set an example in environmental aspects, making its own distinctive contribution to a global cause. 80% of the timber came from forests managed by the ONF.
Even for a structure mainly built of wood, a positive energy rating of C2 is an ambitious target. Right from the design stage, Elioth by Egis was able to accurately determine the carbon impact of the operation and thereby provide input for the decision-making process. Timber isn’t confined to the structure. It’s also in evidence in the wood-frame façades, the wood fibre insulation and the combined wood-aluminium window frames. Greenhouse gas emission budgets were imposed to make sure all subcontractors contributed to the construction of a building that stands as a benchmark in low-carbon construction.
On the bioclimatic front, the comfort of the building’s occupants was the primary concern. Every zone of the building is carefully oriented in terms of exposure to natural light, and each incorporates its own climate control systems with their own operating patterns. Givoni charts plotting representative samples from each zone showed that less than 3% of hours of occupancy are outside the comfort zone, thereby meeting the requirement.
