The recent World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet headquarters in Woking, on the southwestern edge of London’s sprawling suburbs, is one of the first BREEAM Outstanding rated office buildings in the UK. The 3,600 m2 structure cuts energy use by just over 50?%, compared to an average building of the same size and use. It has been erected on a concrete platform above an existing car park on land owned by the town council, a short distance from the centre of Woking. The 92-m-long, new-build is flanked by a road on one side and by Basingstoke Canal on the other.
Reducing the environmental footprint of the building started with decreasing its size by 35?% in comparison to the initial plans. The smaller footprint also reflects changes in work organisation, with WWF-UK embracing the hot-desking revolution. A wi-fi access environment presumes that all WWF-UK staff use individual laptops and smart phones, meaning they can, in effect, work anywhere in the building.
Above them, the 37.5-metre diagrid canopy spans the entire workspace. Comprised of 828 individual glulam beams weighing 98.5 tonnes in total, which are joined by steel connectors, the structure invokes a sense of mathematical regularity and consistency. (Oliver Lowenstein)
Reducing the environmental footprint of the building started with decreasing its size by 35?% in comparison to the initial plans. The smaller footprint also reflects changes in work organisation, with WWF-UK embracing the hot-desking revolution. A wi-fi access environment presumes that all WWF-UK staff use individual laptops and smart phones, meaning they can, in effect, work anywhere in the building.
Above them, the 37.5-metre diagrid canopy spans the entire workspace. Comprised of 828 individual glulam beams weighing 98.5 tonnes in total, which are joined by steel connectors, the structure invokes a sense of mathematical regularity and consistency. (Oliver Lowenstein)