The winner of the 2013 Energy Performance + Architecture Award is the German architect Stefan Behnisch of Behnisch Architekten.
Thirteen candidates were shortlisted for the Energy Performance + Architecture Award in 2013. Their unique projects use natural resources like water, sun and wind to contribute to the buildings’ energy requirements, with solutions for all building types (private-sector businesses, public organisations, housing, etc.) and the overall aim of fulfilling both aesthetic criteria and energy efficiency standards.
The choice of the least energy-intensive materials – wood, for example – is another key feature that sets these projects apart. Creativity and ingenuity are the guiding principles behind the production of these buildings, wherever they are in the world.
The three Behnisch Architekten projects honoured for their energy performance in the 2013 Energy Performance + Architecture Award:
Bad Aibling town hall (Germany).
The town hall, completed in October 2012, has a surface area of 4,300 m2. The various rooms are arranged so as to facilitate communication between them. Wood pellets supply most of the building’s energy needs. Natural light is optimised and supplemented with LEDs. The air conditioning system’s cooling function uses a waterway that flows close by the town hall. Kolbermoor town hall (Germany)
The town hall, completed in December 2012, has a surface area of 4,465 m2. Heating energy is supplied by a neighbouring laundry facility which covers 86% of the annual heating requirement. Natural light is optimised and supplemented with LEDs. The air conditioning system’s cooling function uses an underground waterway
Law Center, University of Baltimore (USA)
The Law Center at the University of Baltimore, completed in May 2013, has a surface area of 18,023 m2. The heated air from occupied rooms is recovered and redistributed, as is the cool air from non-occupied rooms. Airflow from outside the building is kept to the minimum in order to maintain good air quality. Lighting is provided by LEDs.
