http://www.greenpacks.org/2009/02/27...-headquarters/
Taiwan’s Chinatrust Bank, Goes Green With Grand New Headquarters
South-East Asia may be the next best sandbox available for eco-friendly architects. After Dubai, Taiwan is embracing that green wave of change with a new and enterprising structure that will soon become the imposing headquarters of Chinatrust Bank.
Designed by the Los Angeles office of NBBJ along with local architects from Fei & Cheng Associates, the structure is set for completion in 2012. When all done, it will incorporate the best of traditional Chinese design with green features to create an ambient and tranquil atmosphere that saves on energy immensely.
The Chinatrust Bank development will consist of a 30-story headquarters building, a 21-story commercial office building, a 10-story hotel, and a four-level retail center. But the brilliant-green aspect is that it will incorporate eco-friendly aspects such as podium covered in lush roof gardens, that helps reducing rainwater runoff and urban-heat-island effect. And although it doesn’t make the structure a zero-energy building, it’s still “enough” (never enough, eh?) to make it the Taiwanese equivalent of a LEED-NC Gold rating.
With skylights, floor-to-ceiling windows and optimized natural lighting options, much of the energy otherwise wasted for artificial lighting is cut out. It seems only natural that more and more office structures and home edifices are opting for such features as they save both on carbon emissions and lowered power bills.
Taiwan is taking steps further. There is inspiration and creativity, there is hope!
