The Nokia China Campus, also known as the ‘Nokia green building’, is the first newly constructed commercial building in China to be awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-Gold Certificate from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The campus serves as Nokia China’s new headquarters and R&D hub, providing office space for 2,300 employees.
The HQ comprises an office and research and development (R&D) building, an energy center, a bicycle shed and other supporting facilities. It is designed around sustainability and energy-efficient performance. To make full use of natural light and ventilation, Arup has incorporated a glass façade, with a temperature-controlled cavity between the panes. This helps in balancing the sun’s natural heat and the building’s air conditioning system to prevent the impact of outdoor temperatures being felt inside. Skylights and a large communal atrium offer ample natural light and ventilation throughout the building.
Arup has also designed the Shenzhen Vanke Headquarters for Vanke, one of the largest property developers in China. The design team aimed at making the building a LEED-platinum certified facility. The building is incorporated with low resource consumption and eco-friendly and socially harmonious aspects, to generate cost effective sustainable design solutions. Besides optimizing resource use, the design emphasizes on the social benefits of regional regeneration, community life and sustainability.
The BCI Green Design Award was launched in 2009 by the BCI Group of Companies to seek innovative and environmentally responsible architecture that has been designed, built, and commissioned in Asia. The award ceremony was held on May 18, 2010 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
