Green building is a growing staple of international commerce, and German-American collaboration is a theme that's gaining resonance on the green building and products front, as demonstrated by a pair of conferences this month in Washington, D.C., (one last week and one this week, April 28-29).

The German Embassy’s April 19 conference on New Market Opportunities for Green Building highlighted innovations pioneered in the U.S. and Germany.

A key theme embraced by the conference was that of developing buildings and urban systems to interact seamlessly and sustainably with the natural environment.

Water as a Central Planning Element

Herbert Dreiseitl, principal of Atelier Dreiseitl, builds numerous visionary projects centered on the theme of waterscapes: cleaning, harvesting and reusing water. The use of water as the key planning element harmonizes the use of open and built space, and helps to incorporate nature, light and sustainable principles into urban projects.

Atelier Dreisel has worked on large scale urban planning projects, waterfront restorations, city centers and parks around the world. Projects featured in Dreiseitl’s presentation included a water restoration plan for Singapore, a city plaza in Germany, and a park in Portland, Ore. The Atelier’s projects have been economically successful as well as visually and ecologically transformative, said Dreiseitl, because activity is drawn to spaces that combine natural and built elements in a sustainable context.

Using Project Design and Materials to Reduce Energy Usage.

Stefan Behnisch, principal of Behnisch Architekten, uses multiple strategies to reduce energy usage while admitting light and air.

Double facades in translucent cladding seal exteriors for energy efficiency while admitting natural light. Benisch also leaves interior slabs exposed (by eliminating dropped ceilings, for example) to help regulate interior temperatures and reduce reliance on mechanical heating and cooling. In projects which use this technique, cooler nighttime air is absorbed by the structure to moderate the heat of the sun; conversely sunlight is absorbed during the day to moderate the evening chill. Extensive use of LED lighting provides for long-term energy efficiency and an immediate reduction in building maintenance, as bulb changes and relamping is eliminated.

Innovative projects in which Behnisch has used these strategies include the LEED Platinum-rated Genzyme Center in Cambridge, Mass., and Unilever’s headquarters in Hamburg, Germany. The Unilever headquarters, which seems to float on its foundation, is clad in Vector Foiltech ETRE membrane, a light-weight, translucent cladding system that provides higher insulation and better weather-resistance than glass. ETRE foil systems also can be integrated with solar shading and typically self-clean in the rain.

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