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
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.
Sustainability | May 1, 2023
Increased focus on sustainability is good for business and attracting employees
A recent study, 2023 State of Design & Make by software developer Autodesk, contains some interesting takeaways for the design and construction industry. Respondents to a survey of industry leaders from the architecture, engineering, construction, product design, manufacturing, and entertainment spheres strongly support the idea that improving their organization’s sustainability practices is good for business.
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
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.
Sustainability | Apr 20, 2023
13 trends, technologies, and strategies to expect in 2023
Biophilic design, microgrids, and decarbonization—these are three of the trends, technologies, and strategies IMEG’s market and service leaders believe are poised to have a growing impact on the built environment.
Resiliency | Apr 18, 2023
AI-simulated hurricanes could aid in designing more resilient buildings
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have devised a new method of digitally simulating hurricanes in an effort to create more resilient buildings. A recent study asserts that the simulations can accurately represent the trajectory and wind speeds of a collection of actual storms.
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.
Urban Planning | Apr 17, 2023
The future of the 20-minute city
Gensler's Stacey Olson breaks down the pros and cons of the "20-minute city," from equity concerns to data-driven design.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 17, 2023
World's largest multifamily building pursuing ILFI Zero Carbon certification under construction in Washington, D.C.
The Douglass, in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8, is currently the largest multifamily housing project to pursue Zero Carbon Certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).
