There is something peaceful and calming about river pebbles. These smooth, moss-covered stones can provide an appearance of order, fitting together like a natural mosaic, which is probably why they are often times used to decorate spaces ranging from shower floors and walls to outdoor paths and gardens.
But the river pebble design Aedas has created in their 18-story office building, dubbed Lè Architecture, is on a different level; the building itself has been created to resemble one giant, moss-covered river pebble and, as ArchDaily reports, will provide a unique work environment near the Jilong River.
Acting as the moss for this giant pebble, a series of vertical green belts on the building’s west side provide sunshading for the interior office spaces. Meanwhile, the north and south ends are covered in vegetated outdoor terraces.
The office spaces all exist on one side of the building, while “urban living rooms” occupy the other side. The offices and urban living rooms are all centered around communal areas with kitchens, coffee shops, libraries, and breakout spaces.
The project hopes to achieve LEED Gold certification through incorporating a glass façade optimized for construction feasibility and vertical aluminum fins and green planters meant to lower the interior temperature in the summer via sunshading, lessening the need for mechanical cooling.
The project, which is well underway, is scheduled for a 2017 completion.
Image courtesy of Aedas
Image courtesy of Aedas
Image courtesy of Aedas
Image courtesy of Aedas
Image courtesy of Aedas
Related Stories
| May 1, 2012
Gilbane to build $100 million cranberries manufacturing facility
Gilbane to provide design build services for a new Lean manufacturing facility for Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc., beverage products.
| Apr 30, 2012
Summit Design + Build completes build-out for Office Concepts
The project is seeking LEED ID Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
| Apr 30, 2012
KBE Building completes renovation at the ConnCAT
The $1.2 million project consisted of a 16,000-sf interior renovation.
| Apr 27, 2012
GreenExpo365.com to offer webinars on EPA’s WaterSense Program
Architects and builders interested in developing water-efficient buildings invited to attend free sessions featuring experts discussing water-efficient building practices.
| Apr 27, 2012
China Mobile selects Leo A Daly to design three buildings at its new HQ
LEO A DALY, in collaboration with Local Design Institute WDCE, wins competition to design Phase 2, Plot B, of Campus.
| Apr 24, 2012
ULI Real Estate Consensus Forecast, projects improvements for the real estate industry through 2014
Survey is based on opinions from 38 of the nation’s leading real estate economists and analysts and suggests a marked increase in commercial real estate activity, with total transaction volume expected to rise from $250 billion in 2012 to $312 billion in 2014.
| Apr 24, 2012
AECOM design and engineering team realizes NASA vision for Sustainability Base
LEED Platinum facility opens at NASA Ames Research Center at California’s Moffett Field.
| Apr 23, 2012
Innovative engineering behind BIG’s Vancouver Tower
Buro Happold’s structural design supports the top-heavy, complex building in a high seismic zone; engineers are using BIM technology to design a concrete structure with post-tensioned walls.
| Apr 23, 2012
Thornton Tomasetti project wins AISC Merit Award
Thornton Tomasetti provided structural design services through construction administration to architect HOK for the 1.6-million-sf tower and tiara structure, which comprises 15 steel tube arches spanning approximately 158 feet horizontally and 130 feet vertically from the top of the main building roof.
| Apr 20, 2012
Century-old courthouse renovated for Delaware law firm offices
To account for future expansion, Francis Cauffman developed a plan to accommodate the addition of an 8-story tower to the building.
