Arval, a long-term car rental company based in Italy, has recently received a new zero impact headquarters building on the outskirts of Florence. The Pierattelli Architetture-designed building, dubbed the “Photovoltaic Bolt” thanks to its arrow-like shape and large photovoltaic “wings,” is a Climate House Class A building without emissions and is self-sufficient thanks to geothermal pumps and a large array of photovoltaic panels.
The photovoltaic wings have a surface area of over 1,100 sm and comprise about 1000 panels. The flexible, high-efficiency panels are attached to a lightweight steel structure and are integrated with additional panels located on the roof. The bigger wing leans on the main entrance and has a dimension of 50 meters by 35 meters by 36 meters.
Courtesy of Pierattelli Architetture.
The smaller wing leans on the back elevation and measures 23 meters by 33 meters by 40 meters. The panels attached to the wings and the ones on the roof generate enough power to activate the geothermal pumps in the subsoil and make the building completely self-sufficient.
Courtesy of Pierattelli Architetture.
The buildings 7,000 sm of offices and common spaces are distributed over three floors and a basement. Each floor hosts about 200 employees. The spaces are articulated around a central dorsal on north-south axis to provide an east-west direction and guarantee a correct sunlight positioning.
Inside, a main hallway with a large glass wall across two of the floors fills the volume with natural light. Office floors are distinguished by colors so they can be easily identified by their function. The ground floor is ochre yellow for bureaucracy, the first floor is cobalt blue for managers and administrations, and the second floor is light green for the call center and learning center. The basement, meanwhile, hosts the technical spaces for energy control and a large break area made in a light brown color.
Courtesy of Pierattelli Architetture.
The Photovoltaic Bolt is one of the first directional buildings in Italy with zero environmental impact.
Courtesy of Pierattelli Architetture.
Courtesy of Pierattelli Architetture.
Related Stories
| Jun 5, 2013
USGBC: Free LEED certification for projects in new markets
In an effort to accelerate sustainable development around the world, the U.S. Green Building Council is offering free LEED certification to the first projects to certify in the 112 countries where LEED has yet to take root.
| Jun 4, 2013
SOM research project examines viability of timber-framed skyscraper
In a report released today, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill discussed the results of the Timber Tower Research Project: an examination of whether a viable 400-ft, 42-story building could be created with timber framing. The structural type could reduce the carbon footprint of tall buildings by up to 75%.
| Jun 3, 2013
Construction spending inches upward in April
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during April 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $860.8 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised March estimate of $857.7 billion.
| Jun 3, 2013
Trifecta of awards recognize Vision/Rubenstein campus, Bayer Healthcare HQ
When Vision Equities, LLC and Rubenstein Partners purchased the 200-acre former Alcatel-Lucent campus in Whippany a little more than two years ago, the partnership recognized the property’s potential to serve as a benchmark infill revitalization for the State of New Jersey.
| May 31, 2013
Nation's first retrofitted zero-energy building opens in California
The new training facility for IBEW/NECA is the first commercial building retrofit designed to meet the U.S. Department of Energy’s requirements for a net-zero energy building.
| May 29, 2013
Realtors report positive trends in commercial real estate market
Realtors who practice commercial real estate have reported an increase in annual gross income for the third year in a row, signaling the market is on the road to recovery.
| May 24, 2013
First look: Revised plan for Amazon's Seattle HQ and 'biodome'
NBBJ has released renderings of a revised plan for Amazon's new three-block headquarters in Seattle. The proposal would replace a previously approved six-story office building with a three-unit "biodome."
| May 20, 2013
Jones Lang LaSalle: All U.S. real estate sectors to post gains in 2013—even retail
With healthier job growth numbers and construction volumes at near-historic lows, real estate experts at Jones Lang LaSalle see a rosy year for U.S. commercial construction.
| May 3, 2013
'LEED for all GSA buildings,' says GSA Green Building Advisory Committee
The Green Building Advisory Committee established by the General Services Administration, officially recommended to GSA that the LEED green building certification system be used for all GSA buildings as the best measure of building efficiency.
| May 2, 2013
A snapshot of the world's amazing construction feats (in one flashy infographic)
From the Great Pyramids of Giza to the U.S. Interstate Highway System, this infographic outlines interesting facts about some of the world's most notable construction projects.
