Multinational design firm Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) has been chosen by the Federal Republic of Germany to design the Green Climate Fund’s headquarters in Bonn.
LAVA’s design is an ecological model project and demonstrates the firm’s motto: “green is the new black.”
The Green Climate Fund’s vision for international climate protection will be demonstrated in the building design, which is inspired by the surrounding Rhine Valley. The three-level structure will feature curvilinear forms, nature light wells, rooftop gardens and a large sunken terrace for the restaurant, and will comply with the latest energy and building ecology standards and meet the highest demands in terms of sustainability (German gold certificate), ecology and energy efficiency (net zero energy).
The purpose-built GCF headquarters will offer comfortable working conditions for approximately 300 Green Climate Fund officials on the 13,000-square-metre site. Facilities will include state-of-the-art office technology, logistics areas with security controls and a visitor reception zone, an auditorium, a conference room, a canteen/cafeteria and an underground car park.
The proposed building has good transport connections. It is within walking distance of several federal ministries, including the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
LAVA director Alexander Rieck commented: “LAVA has worked closely with the advanced research facilities and experts at the world renowned Fraunhofer IAO to generate intelligent systems, materials and skins that respond to external influences such as air pressure, temperature, humidity, solar radiation and pollution.”
Chris Bosse, another of LAVA’s directors, added, “Since winning the international competition to design the centre of the world’s first eco city, Masdar, in 2009, our projects have focussed on combining digital workflow, nature’s principles and the latest digital fabrication technologies with the aim of achieving more with less: more (architecture) with less (material/energy/time/cost).”
Chris Bosse, Tobias Wallisser and Alexander Rieck set up LAVA as a network of creative minds with a research and design focus in 2007. LAVA now has offices in Sydney, Shanghai, Stuttgart, Berlin and Riyadh.