The Office for Urban Development and Environment (BSU) at Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg features a variety of Saint-Gobain glass products.
The Office for Urban Development and Environment (BSU) at Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg, Germany, is a benchmark for futuristic, sustainable building spaces. An edifice of an environment-friendly, ecological and economical architectural agenda, it is yet another landmark for what green building glass can do to raise the bar of sustainability. Saint-Gobain’s customized glass solutions lent the optimum balance between aesthetics and functional benefits, creating a stunning picture of contemporary architecture.
Designed by Sauerbruch Hutton, the BSU Office for Urban Development and Environment (Behörde für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt) incorporates green building glass in good measure, and is considered an architectural marvel. The main tower of the colourful and curved building rises to a height of 54 metres. Like waves, two five-story wings extend from it, which in turn are subdivided into seven “houses”. In the black facade, colourfully patterned bands consisting of a total of 26,000 glazed ceramic panels in 20 different colours are integrated: they lend the building a patchwork aspect envisioned by the architects.
The building features exhibition spaces, restaurants, a library, a conference center, an amphitheater and other facilities. The architect’s vision to reduce energy consumption was met by Saint-Gobain’s suite of green building glass. A judicious mix of glazing solutions, spanning 7000 sqare meters of glass, provided the benefits of natural light while providing thermal insulation and protection from severe sunlight.
The range of Saint-Gobain glass solutions that were used were SGG Climatop Solar Control, Climatop Ultra N, Contour, Cool-Lite SKN 154, Stadip Emalit and Emalit. The triple-glazing, green building glass variants collectively enhance the eco-friendly quotient of the vibrant structure.
The German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) has honoured the ambitious design and the building in advance with a preliminary gold certificate. The colourful facades, clothed in green building glass, are a reminder of its sustainable initiatives, making the BSU Office for Urban Development and Environment one of the most energy-efficient office buildings in Germany.