I usually work from home, but at the moment I’m working in that zero-energy building. It’s not the most beautiful, but it actually generates more energy than it consumes! There is a small garden on the rooftop with vegetables for employees to pick up and wooden picnic tables. The wooden structure holds solar panels and provide shading for the sun.
It could be better looking, but definitely solarpunk in spirit I think. Also, I like that it functions as a normal office building, it’s not something built for show-off, but actually practical.
There’s info about the building at this website (in Spanish, tho).
P.S. Maybe we need an !architecture community?
That’s very cool, but also a very odd shape? I don’t see much “form follows function” in there or am I missing something?
Well, the shape of the wooden thing it’s been thought to provide shade at noon while allowing sunlight at dawn and dusk, while maximising the energy collected I think. Also there’s an underground terrace that it’s protected from rain by it, since it rains a lot here. Maybe it’s easier to visualise from the maps model:
This is solar but I am not convinced it’s punk. Garden on the roof top is cool but is it good enough to feed people or is it rather decorative?
Not very punk, but a step in the right direction I think. The garden it’s good enough to get some strawberries as a snack or complete your salad with a fresh tomato from time to time. Of course it would make much more sense to have all the surrounding park planted with vegetables… but it’s something.
